AVB says Defoe is not moving but will the lure of Redknapp be too much?
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 5:01 PM | by Peter Stickney 
Andre Villas-Boas has moved to quash speculation that Jermain Defoe will be moving to Queens Park Rangers in January. He told thesportreview.com that it is "Not possible" and "Absolutely impossible" that he will be leaving. In the say way that Abramovich said in the Telegraph that Villas-Boas was "here to stay" at Chelsea.
That sounds to me like he will definitely be going then. The past is often a reasonable guide to the future and in the past whenever Harry Redknapp has arrived anywhere near Jermain Defoe, Defoe has merrily hopped in the back of his van and headed off to whichever club the great wheeler-dealing, market-trader was running at the time.
Defoe has been in good form this season scoring seven goals in thirteen Premier League games and has often been preferred to Emmanuel Adebayor when fit. Villas-Boas went on in the interview to butter Defoe up, “He is one of the best strikers I have worked with. I certainly put him alongside [Atlético Madrid striker] Falcao." High praise indeed.
Will AVB's flattery be enough to keep him at White Hart Lane or will the lure of playing for Redknapp again tempt him to Loftus Road? Maybe Defoe will think that the honour of keeping a club up will trump the empty glory of challenging at the top of the league but probably not.
Peter Stickney
Reader Comments (9)
Er, Redknapp hardly played him last season. What a prospect for Jermaine, ffs.
The lure of playing for a manager who doesn't pick him will be massive. Especially as he will get a drop in wages; won't play in Europe and will get relegated. You don't know wnything about football do you?
As Neil has already mentioned, Harry kept JD on the bench during his tenure. He'd have to be a complete idiot to follow Harry. likewise Dawson
Harry benched Defoe as the last choice striker last season. No way he'll go to a relegation bound club.
You are stupid. Defoe wanted to leave Spurs under 'Arry and publicly argued with him as he was only using him as a sub. Now he is starting games. Why would he want to go to a lesser side
Why would he go too sit on the bench and get relegated knows he is first choice striker under AVB
I just laughed
What a load of bollocks. You really got to laugh at these would be journalists.
This has to be the most risible ill-thought out article of the season so far.Talk about "don't try to convince young master Stickney with facts, he's made his mind up." I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, hence the use of Master. Surely no grown up could get his facts so badly wrong-even if they tried. Either a wind up-great satire if so-or complete overestimation of his own ability both thinking and writing. A new low in depths to be plumbed.