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Report: Defoe being chased by QPR, West Ham

JermainDefoeTorontoFC1-HoustonDynamo2014MLS (USATodaySportsImages)

Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/USA Today Sports Images

By DAN KARELL

Caught in the wake of Ryan Nelsen’s dismissal from Toronto FC was news that Jermain Defoe could also be on his way out of town.

TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko admitted to the local media at a press conference that the team has received multiple offers over the year for Defoe, and said they would make a decision by the end of Monday. Now, fresh reports out of Britain state that both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham are leading the race to bring Defoe back to the English Premier League.

A report in Goal UK states that Newcastle and Sunderland are also interested in the English forward, while the Daily Telegraph reports that Defoe has been offered to Arsenal on a short-term basis as cover for Olivier Giroud, who is out until the start of 2015.

Defoe has multiple connections with QPR, including the fact that the club is in his hometown of London and its manager, Harry Redknapp, coached Defoe at Tottenham.

Bezbatchenko refused to comment at Sunday’s press conference on which clubs have submitted offers to sign Defoe.

Defoe, along with Michael Bradley, was the centerpiece of a complete overhaul at TFC in January following seven consecutive seasons mired in disappointment and failure. Though he’s struggled with groin injuries over the course of his debut MLS season, Defoe has hardly disappointed, scoring 11 goals and adding two assists in 16 games.

The 31-year-old is currently injured, likely through the end of September, but if he remains with TFC, he’d be crucial for their playoff hopes. Defoe and Bradley reportedly cost TFC and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment $100 million in combined transfer fees and total salary over the course of their contracts.

Defoe is currently earning a base salary of $6 million with TFC.

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What do you think of this report? Do you see Defoe returning to England? What would this mean for MLS if he leaves?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. why the HECK did they drop big money on Defoe. He’s an average to really good striker in the PL but he’s no Robbie Keane who makes half of what he earns.

    Should have dropped 6 million dollars a year on Jackson Martinez or a Bafetembi Gomis

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  2. It started with their impatience of the Dutch revolution. They had a good thing going in playing attractive soccer but results weren’t there due to journeymen level of players. Still it was good to watch and then they just went back to route 1 by hiring Nelsen. Everyone and their brother saw it coming; you did not need a PhD to figure this out.

    Next stupid move was paying a big transfer fee for Defoe few months before he was going to be a free agent. If they sell him, let’s see how much they recover from what was paid for him. If MLSE can get 3/4 of what they paid, then the 1/4 was worth the premium to get him early. Otherwise, if he leaves on a free, then everyone can laugh at their business acumen.

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  3. At least FTC isn’t boring off the field unlike my team RSL. I’ll take a steady albeit unexciting team philosophy and identity any day over what FTC currently are.

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  4. Can someone please help me understand what went wrong in T.Dot? They had such high hopes this season… but now: A fired Coach…
    The GM quit
    Our best midfield player is playin’ like ****
    Defoe wants out…
    what happened? Where’d all this go wrong? Aren’t they still going to make the playoffs this season anyway?

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  5. Defoe probably needs to go. He may have been one of the attitude problems along with his EPL bro Nelson.

    Let’s just get to the facts of the Nelson era:
    Hired by Kevin Payne, a DC United Bro.
    Nelson WAITS to take over coaching duties while he screws around playing a last few games with QPR.

    Nelson hires more Bro’s as assistant coaches for TFC. Many of the assistance’s have very little coaching experience. Meanwhile Payne is kicked out the door.

    Compiles a very bad coaching record with TFC (overall a losing record, no playoffs, trophies etc.)

    GM challenges the team to “step it up”. Nelson throws a hissy fit and upon reflection makes some really stupid comments. He rambles on about how great he was as a player and all the amazing high pressure games he played in. Bro! You are a “Coach” not a “Player”. It might have been helpful if he knew that. The kicker is he was never even a star as a player. But if you have no coaching high points to point at I guess you have to reach for something else.

    I am no fan boy of Bev or MLSE but it was clear: Bro Had To Go.

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    • is this what really happened? Nelsen always struck me as a very homely modest kinda guy. why in the first place would they hire him? Makes no sense. but TFC is a joke

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  6. Complete speculation on my part, but between the departure of Tim Leiweke and the impending departure of Jermaine DeFoe, it almost feels like Leiweke was forced out because of the butt-ton of money he was spending, and now they’re trying to get their money back.

    In any case, all hail mediocrity in Toronto (again). How long until Michael Bradley says, “F this, I’m outta here”?

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      • Owned by the same guys as the Maple Leafs… They only made it to the play off once in the last 10 years.(Well one of those years was the lockout…)

  7. The fact that Sunderland is still chasing strikers does not bode well for Jozy. Even though I doubt even Defoe would do well on that team

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    • Meh he has been linked with everyone. Also Defoe wouls be terrible for them. He definitely doesnt create his own chances. He is a pure finisher.

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      • Who cares what people outside America think?

        Americans watched Jozy shrug off Pujols like he wasn’t there against Spain in the Confeds Cup in South Africa en route to beating the Spainiards – who were on a fifty-game (repeat – 50!) – unbeaten streak. We watched him get two against the Germans just last year. He scored goals for fun at AZ Alkmaar…and then he goes to England and can’t buy a goal?

        Accuse him of “inconstant mentality” all you want, maybe it’s true. He does seem like a different guy when his confidence is low, and it seems Klinsmann always has to put him back together again with the USMNT. But a confidence problem (which could also be a mismanagement problem) isn’t the same as lack of skill….

        If we think higher of Altidore than the rest of the world…well, we have a different body of work to judge from. Hull (when he was 19) and now Sunderland haven’t exactly gotten the best out of him.

  8. What a mess in Toronto. Fire the whole staff in the midst of the season, and than possibly sell star Defoe after just a few months of having him.

    What looked liked a great year has spiraled into another mess.

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    • can’t be a surprise, that is the status quo for Toronto. Many were fooled into thinking they changed things around because of the Bradley and Defoe signings but they continue to be a mess. I’m embarrassed for Bradley saying that he would only consider MLS if i was Toronto or one other club. Perhaps that one other club was Chivas because that’s the company in which Toronto belongs.

      Reply

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