England international Jermain Defoe has been making the headlines ever since he made his glorious return to the England National Team after three years, when he scored the opening goal in the Three Lion’s 2-0 win over Lithuania in their FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers at the Wembley Stadium.
The Sunderland forward earned a call back to the national side owing to series of brilliant performances in the Premier League, combined with an injury to the Three Lion’s first choice Harry Kane. He has seen the net 14 times this season for Sunderland but been difficult for the England international to pull his team away from the relegation zone.
There’ve been reports recently stating that the Black Cats could let their star forward leave the club free in the summer should they get relegated. According to Daily Mail, the England international has a clause in his contract, which allows him to leave the Wearside club for free if they get the drop-off to the second tier at the end this campaign.
Presently, his side are currently stuck at the bottom of the table, and needs seven points to get off the safety zone. With threat of relegation looming large for David Moyes side, it’s clear that he might be on the way out of the Stadium of Light. Here, we share with you three clubs that could make use of his goal-scoring prowess should Sunderland eventually get relegated at the end of season.
Stoke City
Stoke City find themselves 9th position in the EPL table and look set for another mid-table finish as this has been their signature in recent years.
However, if the Potters wants to take one step further, the England international could be the ideal man to help Mark Hughes in this cause. His side don’t have the most dazzling attacking lines, with Wilfried Bony and Peter Crouch their main striking options along with their January acquisition Saido Berahino.
Peter Crouch isn’t getting any younger whilst Bony is looking like a spent force and will be heading back to principal club Manchester City at the end of his loan spell with Stoker City. Berahino is a different thing entirely. A player with so much promise, has seen his career gone tumbled over the past season and he looks far from his best in his short time with the Potters.
With the club in such tragic situation, Defoe could go on to solve the dearth of quality strikers in the squad for Stoke and the fact that he will be their first-choice striker will also appeal to the Englishman as he hopes to make it to the England squad for FIFA World Cup next year.
West Ham United
Slaven Bilic’s side and Defoe do have unfinished business, with the forward leaving the East Londoners back in January 2004 when the Hammers got relegated to the second-tier. He made the headlines and made his name at the Upton Park early in his career.
However, a reunion is set to be on the cards in the summers as the Hammers have been chasing the England international since the January transfer window. A reported £6 million bid was made for Defoe in January, only for the Black Cats to reject the bid.
The Hammers has Andy Carroll as their only striking option right now, after having seem summer signing Simone Zaza and then ship him out in the winter window. Two other additions to their strike-force in the summer window, Jonathan Calleri (on loan) and Ashley Fletcher have find it difficult to make any sort of impact at the London stadium.
Diafra Sakho have been on injury sideline for the majority of the season and with Enner Valencia having been shipped out on loan, there are question marks over his future at the club.
Defoe could be the ideal man to give a lift to West Ham in the attacking third and could form a solid partnership with the likes of Michail Antonio, Robert Snodgrass, and Andre Ayew.
Liverpool
A move to Liverpool seems unlikely to happen, but the Reds would do well with the scoring prowess of Defoe in their attacking ranks.
Liverpool have scored many goals in the Premier League this season and have one kind of a scoring beast in the competition. However, the Reds have had to rely heavily on Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino when in need of goals, with noe of the attackers contributing much to this.
Former Chelsea star Daniel Sturridge has slip down the pecking order, Sturridge looked clueless in the setup that Liverpool operate under new boss Jurgen Klopp. Also, Divock Origi hasn’t been in the fitness leading the line and Danny Ings has spent the season on the sidelines due to injury. As there are much doubts over Sturridge’s future at Anfield, the Reds could be in the market for a striker.
On the hunt for this, they don’t need to look further than Defoe in boosting their attacking options. He is a proven goal beast in the EPL and will provide them with an alternate dimension in attack. It’s possible the England international should be available on a free transfer as well at the end of the current season, allowing Klopp to spend the cash on other acquisitions.