Defoe Set To Pluck For Cherries

Jermain Defoe may have suffered the ignominy of relegation with Sunderland this season but it would be unfair to pin the blame on the England international as he was one of the very few shining lights that the Wearside had in what was a miserable season.

In a week where Sunderland have already seen their manager resign (whether that is considered bad news or not can be argued) but the news will soon get to worse as England international Defoe is set to call time on his Stadium Of Light stint.

It was well publicised in the past few weeks that Defoe had a relegation release clause which was agreed during he period when Sam Allardyce was in charge and that was not something that the previous Sunderland boss David Moyes was best pleased about.

With relegation a certainity, the former Everton and Manchester United boss then had to best sales pitch to try and get Defoe to stay for a crack at trying to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking but it was a pitch that fell on deaf ears.

And with Sunderland losing their star striker it was then quite apparent that Moyes did not have the fight for a battle in the cut throat world of the EFL Championship next season as he walked away from the club on Monday evening.

So with Moyes gone and Defoe soon to follow the question that has to be asked is where next for the former Tottenham striker and it looks as if it will be the club in which he first broke onto the scene, not West Ham but the club which he has an incredibly successful loan spell.

Defoe spent time at what was then Dean Court and made a name for himself on the South Coast after placing himself in the history books. Defoe scored 10 in 10 matches which equaled a long standing Football League record for scoring in consecutive matches.

There is obviously some kind of affinity for the club due to the way that Bournemouth hurled him onto the main stage and the chance to come back there and this time around play for the Cherries in the top flight is one that is too good to turn down.

At 34, Defoe may be coming to the twilight of his career but there is absolutely no doubting that he can do a job in the top flight, you could make a case for anyone from 8th in the table onwards trying to capture his signature as he could do a job for a whole host of clubs.

But it looks as if Bournemouth who are celebrating their highest ever Premier League finish of 9th place have won the race to acquire his services and it is these kind of astute signings that should see them go on to establish themselves as a true top flight outfit.