West Brom not out the running for England striker Jermain Defoe as Bournemouth switch stalls over personal demands
England striker is demanding huge wages and a big signing on fee to sign on the south coast
WEST BROM are looking to sign Jermain Defoe from under the noses of Bournemouth.
The veteran striker looked set to join the Cherries on a free transfer where he will pocket a staggering £130,000-a-week.
But the Birmingham Mail reports that his move to the south coast has hit an obstacle over the player's demands.
On top of the 34-year-old's wages, Defoe also wants a £8million signing on fee and Bournemouth have baulked at the move despite the England striker already completing his medical.
And Bournemouth's loss could be Tony Pulis' gain as the Baggies boss chases a new striker ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Just last month Pulis admitted to be in the market for a few names and hinted that Defoe was one of them.
He said: "When you say he's a free agent, effectively he's a free agent, but that still brings an enormous cost to whichever club takes Jermain.
"We've got our fingers in the pie on quite a few players and we'll see how we go on those players.
"If Jermain's one of them, we'll be pushing on that one if we can."
Jermain Defoe profile
- Born in Beckton, England in 1982 and began his youth career at Charlton
- Moved to West Ham in 1999 and joined second-division Bournemouth on loan where he scored in 10 consecutive matches
- He was described as a 'kid with a big future' Harry Redknapp following his loan move
- Joined Spurs for £6m in 2004 after West Ham's relegation
- Would later sign for Portsmouth under Redknapp before moving back to Tottenham
- Drew criticism after joining Toronto in 2014 before Sunderland gave him another chance in the Premier League
- Has 57 England caps, scoring 20 goals
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Defoe is free to leave Sunderland following a relegation release clause in his contract.
The former Spurs and QPR man made 37 league starts for the Black Cats last season and scored 15 goals.
If he does sign for Bournemouth, it will be his second stint at the club having spent a successful loan spell at the division two club 17 years ago.