Former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Danny Murphy has suggested in The London Evening Standard that Newcastle United and Everton could be looking to sign Jermain Defoe from Sunderland in the summer transfer window.
Sunderland are struggling for survival at the moment and could get relegated to the Premier League at the end of the season.
Defoe has been the Black Cats’ best player this season and has scored quite regularly.
The 34-year-old England international striker has proved that he is good enough to carry on playing in the Premier League.
If Sunderland do go down to the Championship at the end of the season, then it is hard to see Defoe stay at the Stadium of Light.
Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Murphy, who now works as a pundit for BBC Sport, has suggested that Newcastle and Everton could make moves for the striker in the summer.
Newcastle are playing in the Championship this season, but the Magpies are likely to get promoted to the Premier League for the 2017-18 campaign.
“This would be very controversial but you could see Newcastle looking at him if they won promotion,” Murphy wrote in The London Evening Standard.
“Perhaps if Everton lose Romelu Lukaku, they will decide Defoe would do a good job for them.
“Whatever happens to Sunderland, though, there is no way Defoe will be playing in the Championship next season.”