Defoe will do what is good for Defoe... LJ will have a say in negotiations but not a definitive one.. Sunderland, unless they match or beat any other offers he has, will lose out. I say this and I am not LJs biggest fan, If Defoe goes elsewhere (Oxford) it will not be down to LJ. Personally I think its unlikely it will be the love of Sunderland that will be a deciding factor.
I think Johnson alluded to it being mental thing on Arbie`s part. Said something along the lines of " he`s good to go but hasn't quite accepted that he is in his own mind " or words to that effect. Back in the day the training staff would have introduced him to a few " robust " challenges to convince him he was ready.
Does that Aldyyyy over the road know anything? People seem to hang onto his word. He just put a cryptic defoe message in.
If this is an ego issue with LJ, I'd full expect KLD to have further talks to reassure him. We need a CF and a CM, right?.....so if LJ get's his CM, and then insists on his own choice of CF cover......KLD may compromise and seggest Defoe, plus another CF. I can't see any problem with that, providing we have enough places in the squad. If LJ gets his way, and chooses against Defoe, and we fail to get another CF in time before the window closes, and we do not get promotion....then you can 100% garuntee that there will be fireworks !!!
The amount of people saying it’s Oxford is beyond a coincidence. I think it’s dead in the water and it’s just not a very well thought out tweet.
My Oxford mate seems pretty confident - and all signs pointing that way. But two tweets from the club and stadium this morning. One saying "He's back" and one starting with "18". Coincidence I'm sure...
Could all be from the same source mind. All it takes is one person to say one thing and it gets repeated enough times in different places that it looks like new sources. My Oxford mate is adamant he's signing but for all I know he's on here and he's seen @Wheatsheaf 's post and he's taken a punt.
Another thing I'll add is that if he's as nailed on for Oxford as many seem to think - you'd have expected some movement in the media on it by now. Strikes me as meaning still not decision. Now of course that might still mean its not us. It just might mean that the internet has jumped the gun on the Oxford thing.
Media people being a bit naughty with the ‘he’s back’ and ‘18’ posts. It better be announced today. With the other striker as well. Or they’ll be hearing from me.
Not had much to say on this, as I never hear owt, and up to now the players brought in from a year or so gone have been pretty good. If I was Defoe, and was his age, the chance to be so near home and close to the telly mob would definitely feature in my thinking. But we clearly need another striker with a bit of a record one way or another. Ross has been great, but he's human and might get knacked or have a bad dip in form. Still time though I'd say.
Whatever happens with JD I think the club is showing a bit more guile in the transfer market. Flint mentioned and linked and then out of the blue we sign Bathh. Could have a left field forward coming in if Defoe falls through.