Jermain Defoe has a list of would-be suitors lining up for his signature in the summer.
Defoe will leave Sunderland when, not if, they are relegated – it look irreversibly bleak for David Moyes’ Black Cats.
Among the interested parties are Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle United.
Prime target
According to the Sun, the Magpies will identify him as a prime target.
Benitez is said to believe Defoe is the perfect addition to his squad; a squad likely to return to England’s top-flight next season.
Little animosity
Even though he plays for arch-rivals Sunderland, there will be little animosity between Defoe and his current club should he choose to leave.
The English international – he earned his first call-up for several years against Lithuania – has been the only reason the Black Cats are still not mathematically relegated.
Defoe has always put his all in for the club and has interacted harmoniously with the surrounding community.
Competition
Newcastle will have to fight off competition from Bournemouth and West Ham: the Hammers could be an attractive proposition for Defoe, with the prospect of returning to his boy-hood club an idealistic move.
Written by Michael Jones
Follow Michael on Twitter @jonesmichael_97
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