Sunderland fans are not keen on the idea of selling Jermain Defoe to West Ham.
West Ham are so desperate to sign Jermain Defoe they have told Sunderland to ‘name their price’ for the striker, according to SkySports.
This comes after Sunderland rejected a laughable £6 million bid, and shows that the Hammers are serious about landing their former academy star, even if their initial offer did not suggest it.
Asking a club to name their selling price so publicly is an unusual step, and puts Sunderland in a strong negotiating position.
Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe
They do not want to sell Defoe, but could tell West Ham they want offers upwards of £20 million for them to even consider a sale.
The problem is, even a fee of £20 million may be too low.
If Sunderland have any chance of remaining in the Premier League and avoiding relegation then keeping Defoe is an absolute must.
Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe shoots at goal
He has scored 11 goals this season for the club – the nearest any other Black Cats player has is three.
His natural goalscoring instincts are irreplaceable, and Sunderland would struggle to find an adequate replacement this transfer window.
Selling Defoe would say little about their ambition and hamper their ability to sign players who are good enough to fill their top scorer’s boots.
Here is a look at how Sunderland fans reacted on Twitter…
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