Glasgow Rangers loanee Jermain Defoe could leave Ibrox at the end of the season.
One of Steven Gerrard’s main concerns this summer looks set to be whether Rangers manage to hold onto Jermain Defoe, especially as the striker now appears to be finding his best form following his January move to Ibrox.
Defoe has scored six goals for the Gers, but perhaps provided his best performance so far for the Light Blues at the weekend as he helped inspire a 3-0 win at Motherwell – a game in which he did not score a goal.
Unfortunately for Rangers, it appears that his form could have consequences. Eddie Howe has said, in comments reported by the Bournemouth Daily Echo, that Bournemouth plan to consider a decision on whether to recall the 36-year-old in the summer. So it would appear that his future could be up in the air.
Given that Defoe did not make too much of an impact at the Vitality Stadium, it would probably be a surprise if the Cherries did decide to bring the striker back one year before his loan is meant to end. Nevertheless, it is not an ideal situation for the Gers.
But perhaps they may receive a boost in their hopes of keeping Defoe from an unlikely source: Celtic loanee Timothy Weah.
The Scottish Sun reported at the weekend that Howe is interested in signing Weah from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. Not only would a move to Bournemouth see Celtic dealt a blow – the report notes that the Hoops want to keep the young forward beyond this season – but it may also prove to be good news for Rangers for another reason.
If Weah arrives on the south coast, it will surely become even more unlikely that Howe will bring Defoe back. It would be a pointless move considering that the former England international barely played and did not score before heading to Rangers.
So given the potential uncertainty surrounding Defoe, perhaps some Rangers fans will now be keeping one eye on Weah’s future over the coming months.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
