Chris Young [email protected] @youngsunecho 9 commentsHave your say! MLS OUTFIT Toronto are interested in a swap deal involving Jermain Defoe and Sunderland frontman Jozy Altidore, according to reports in America. Altidore missed Sunderland’s defeat to Liverpool yesterday after coming down with illness on Friday night, following a week of speculation over the 25-year-old’s future. Toronto are understood to be the front-runners among the MLS sides vying for Altidore’s signature, yet need to offload Defoe, who is just 12 months into a four-year deal with the Canadian club. However, reports in America have indicated that Toronto are ready to offer Defoe in a part-exchange deal for Altidore, who cost Sunderland £7million from AZ Alkmaar 18 months ago. And the Echo understands that while the MLS transfer system is run on a franchise basis, it would be feasible to conduct such a swap. Defoe is thought to be eager to return to the Premier League and has been training with former club Spurs, with Hull City boss Steve Bruce already confirming his interest in the 32-year-old. The striker knows Gus Poyet too, having worked briefly under him at White Hart Lane when the current Sunderland boss was Spurs assistant manager. But, as Sunderland have discovered in previous attempts to sign Defoe, the big barrier towards any deal is likely to be the striker’s wage demands. Meanwhile, Sunderland have also been linked with a £3m move for Sheffield Wednesday centre-half Tom Lees. However, as reported previously, Sunderland are likely to wait until the summer to bolster their defensive ranks, with strengthening the attack the overwhelming priority in this month’s window. Sunderland have been continuing to scout Celtic centre-half Virgil van Dijk, but it is thought to be with a view to the end of the season when Wes Brown is out-of-contract and the loan deals of Sebastian Coates and Santiago Vergini expire, albeit the latter is likely to join permanently.
Please God no. Nowhere near in his prime and nowhere near as quick as he used to be. Spent too much time away from the league and would be a small step up from Jozy imo
He scores goals Team Apps† (Gls)† 1999–2004 West Ham United 93 (29) 2000–2001 → Bournemouth (loan) 29 (18) 2004–2008 Tottenham Hotspur 139 (43) 2008 → Portsmouth (loan) 1 (1) 2008–2009 Portsmouth 30 (14) 2009–2014 Tottenham Hotspur 135 (47) 2014– Toronto FC 19 (11) 2014 → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 2 (1) National team‡
This would be an exceptional signing, Defoe would keep us in the premier league this season, no doubt about it. Wont happen though.
Don't see how a signing a central player who likes to run the channels is going to help when the channels are already occupied by our inside forwards and covering defenders. There's just no space to be exploited in those areas so defenders won't need follow him. He'd be a good signing if Gus would change the system but he won't so it wouldn't so I think it would be an ineffective signing.
At the minute I would not mind Hemel heskey ! he is better than what we have. But Defoe would make a difference, and we need a Ings type player in midfield, as well as 2 defenders as Brown just stood off again, and let Liverpool score. And Pantlemon needs training on how to kick a ball straight up the pitch.
Pantillimon is doing what he is told to do. He kicked it centrally yesterday and it came back. Two goal kicks he struggle with the ball blew away! What we need is a player willing to put himself among to win the ball from the keeper. Wickham and fletcher are not those players recently. I've seen both do it just not recently
