West Ham are not ready to give up on the chase for Jermain Defoe and are considering lining up a £7 million bid.
They are aware of Sunderland’s huge reluctance to sell but intend to make life as difficult as possible for Black Cats owner Ellis Stafford and could raise the ante to £7 million.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is the driving force behind the move seeing the 34 year old as the ideal player to feed off Andy Carroll’s flick-ons in a 4-2-2.
With Diafra Sakho sidelined until early spring, after surgery, the manager knows he has to get Defoe or somebody like him in during January.
The club remain convinced that Defoe wants a return to the Irons following his departure nearly 13 years ago .
Defoe would be offered the remainder of the season and next and although the Hammers know the fee would be ‘dead money’ they are determined to invest in goals for the rest of the season of there is any chance of wooing Sunderland into selling
4-2-2 Hugh?
Don’t fancy our chances in many games with that formation mate LOL!
Stop messing around and get in there today . Same old same old trying to get a bargain . East end barra boys trade like this but not football clubs
Agreed bubbles?
Also, If we do end up with Zaza, Calleri and Tore till the end of the season (we all know what our luck’s like), won’t FFP come in to play if Defoe returns?
I agree that we should definately go all out to get him.
Nothing wrong with testing the waters with a lower bid to start with.
You cant have it both ways,barra boys when they put a low bid in,paying over the top when they pay 20 mill for Ayew.Make your minds up.
I know it’s not our money Al, but how high would you go?
Personally, I think £9-10 mill is more than enough. Also think we need to give them a deadline, so we don’t end up scrabbling around looking for a last minute alternative.
Condor i would say to them ok heres 10 million,take it or leave it.End of discussion.
I really dont see them selling him but they are skint with regard to a transfer kitty apparently.
Much of this is possibly down to Defoe.Will he push for it or is he happy up there.
I see what Al is saying though,as fans we cant have it both ways when it suits us.Moan when they put in percieved low bids,moan when we consider they have paid ott 😉
I make you both about right chaps.The kid is still a very good striker & has a couple of top flight seasons left in him.
I only see it as a positive trying to sign someone of his quality.I cant be bothered with all the Judas nonsense.
Nor me Al. He was young and badly advised. Not totally without blame, but doesn’t deserve to get slaughtered as he does by some! He’s still got plenty to offer, imo. Wonder who’d take the penalties though?
I’d go along with that Colin, we don’t have the time to muck around looking for alternatives!
Also with regard to SuGo, I’m pretty much ambivalent towards them.
Yes, they have done some great things for us, but it just seems to me that a lot of what they do appears…tacky?!?. All the talk of ‘not going to bed’ on deadline day, and the much-hyped summer transfers that mysteriously don’t materialise (surely nothing to do with season ticket sales😈).
That’s just my opinion of course, and I know we could certainly do a lot worse!
Cheers fellas.
put this on the FB site, but will copy in here too! this is a signing for the here and now, not 5 years time, and anything that happened in 2003 or whenever is ancient history
“time to put up or shut up on this one.
if we want Defoe, we won’t get him by taking it to the wire and negotiating Sunderland into the ground. even then, it would be HUGE decision for them to sell their top man.
£7m for 18 months and 25 goals would make Defoe one of our best ever signings. £10m… £12m…. pick a figure, he is proven, capable, fit, experienced, mobile, a finisher, scored goals literally everywhere he has gone. this isnt a signing for the next 10 years it’s a signing for the here and now. no potential, no resale value. we need a job done and he’s the man to come in to do it.
we need to get off the pot, as the saying goes.”
Niall, spot on fella👍👍👍
I will give you a 9 for that Niall though you would probably give yourself a 4 😁