Former England ace could come to Bournemouth’s rescue
Published:
As an unused substitute in Sunderland’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend Jermain Defoe must have been asking himself why he fought so hard to return to the Premier League.
The former Portsmouth, Tottenham and Toronto striker started the season with a bang, netting four goals in his first four games to show he still has what it takes to give defenders the run around in England.
However, a failure to score in three outings – against Aston Villa, Spurs and Bournemouth – has seen the former England man reduced to a back-up role at the Stadium of Light.
To not get on in a game where the Wearsiders mustered just four shots on target indicates that the 32-year-old does not have the trust of manager Dick Advocaat.
Ironically it is the side against which that Defoe last drew a blank that could offer the striker a Premier League lifeline.
Bournemouth, where Defoe spent a record-breaking loan spell earlier in his career, could well be in the market for a striker in January after losing Callum Wilson to injury.
Wilson, who scored five goals in his first six Premier League games, was at the top of his game and the league’s scoring charts before going off injured in the Cherries’ 2-1 loss to Stoke last weekend.
The south coast club have now confirmed that the 23-year-old will be out of action for up to six months.
The Dean Court outfit were linked with Defoe throughout the summer, but speculation surrounding a return to Boscombe for the man who scored 12 goals in 10 successive league games for the Cherries, will surely now intensify.
Bournemouth are 21/20 to return to winning ways when they host Watford this weekend but with tougher tests to come manager Eddie Howe will certainly be weighing up his options.
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