Tottenham Hotspur: Should Spurs bring Jermain Defoe back?

Tottenham Hotspur need to add another striker during the summer transfer window. Former Spurs star Jermain Defoe could be the perfect fit.

Tottenham Hotspur are on the cusp of finishing their most successful Premier League season in club history. Barring the “Spursiest” of catastrophes and collapses, Tottenham will finish second behind only champions Chelsea in the league table. Spurs feature a starting XI filled with young stars who may, in time, earn interest from giants such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.

With that said, Tottenham must add both quality and depth during the summer transfer window if they are to chase the title for the third straight season and also attempt to advance beyond the group stages of the Champions League. The seemingly never-ending tradition that is Tottenham needing to sign a striker is set to continue, and some Spurs supporters are looking at a familiar face from the past.

Front man Jermain Defoe found the figurative found of youth featuring for a Sunderland side that routinely failed en route to getting bounced out of the Premier League down into the Championship. Defoe sits on 15 goals following the events of May 13, and the England international has been a bright spot for what has been the worst club in the country’s top-flight.

As recently explained by the BBC, Defoe’s deal with Sunderland includes a release clause that allows him to leave, on a free, if the club is relegated. Manager David Moyes has publicly stated he would not have allowed such a clause and also that he wants Defoe to remain and help the club attempt to climb back up into the Premier League.

Moyes also lives in reality, and he knows the striker who will turn 35 years old in October will likely want to experience what may be his final season in the Premier League. Defoe could choose to sign for a bottom-half-of-the-table side that would start him each Premier League weekend he is fit, but it may make sense for both Spurs and the player to show the saying “you can’t go home again” isn’t always accurate.

Tottenham, a club with a deep history of pinching pennies whenever possible, wouldn’t have to pay anything, beyond wages, to acquire the forward with a knack for scoring goals. Spurs supporters adore him for his lengthy stint with the club, during which he made numerous pleasant memories and memorable highlights. There’s little question he can still hit the back of the net on a consistent basis, and he’s in fantastic shape.

Per Dan King of The Sun, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino had high praise for Defoe before Spurs faced Sunderland this past January:

"“He’s a very good striker with lots of experience and great movement. The ball may well be too far from his position but he is involved and is clever, he is ready to run forward.”"

It’s worth noting Pochettino and Spurs got a good look at Defoe in early 2015 when he trained with Tottenham ahead of finalizing a move from Major League Soccer side Toronto FC to Sunderland. It’s possible Pochettino could be intrigued with once again having the experienced forward train with his younger players, but this time while also serving as cover and competition.

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Obviously, Defoe wouldn’t take the place of Harry Kane, the 23-year-old superstar who has established himself as the best England striker playing today. Kane has accumulated a bit of an injury history in recent years, however, and Spurs would do well to acquire at least one more option who could compete for an open spot along with Vincent Janssen, who has had a quiet first year with the club, and Son Heung-Min.

The question is simple: With Tottenham needing a goal in the final 15 minutes of a Champions League fixture or a massive league contest, would you rather trust Janssen or Defoe to save the day? That seems to be a no-brainer for the 2017-18 campaign, even if Janssen makes progress working underneath Pochettino.

Defoe is a professional goal-scorer who can still go at the highest level. No moment, including a Champions League match at Wembley Stadium, would be too big for the veteran who has performed in Europe’s top club competition and at a World Cup. He could be a calming influence for a Tottenham side that has flopped in European tournaments and during contests at Wembley, which will be the club’s home for at least one season.

Defoe’s age and fitness shouldn’t be a problem, as he’d be second choice behind Kane outside of a handful of fixtures. Signing him for a one-off could be worth it, particularly if Tottenham are able to find any amount of success in the Champions League and cup competitions.