Pablo Osvaldo In, Defoe Out?
It could have been so different for him. Having returned from the World Cup as one of the few English players to emerge with credit from the fiasco in South Africa, football betting backed Defoe to start the season with a bang.
But with injury and selection decisions going against him, Defoe failed to register his first goal of the Premier League campaign until March, against Wolverhampton Wanders.
And so that trend continued, with the 28-year-old struggling to hold down a starting place and failing to find the net when he did manage to make it on to the field, mustering just four goals in 21 Premier League appearances.
So when the forward spoke out about his future earlier this week, it came as no surprise that he was unhappy with the way things have gone this season.
“When you feel like you are working hard, training hard and being professional and then you are not playing, it is difficult.
“I love the club and I still get the same buzz that I did when I first walked out at White Hart Lane, which is important.
"But for me, the main thing is playing football and if I am not playing football then I am not happy, because I love my football." He added.
Unfortunately for Defoe, his future at Spurs could follow a similar pattern to this season. It's obvious to all and sundry that we're in desperate need of a new striker and have already begun our search for a man to lead the line next season.
A new boy in town is exactly the opposite of what Defoe needs, but after a season in which none of the three main strikers were able to stake a convincing claim for the role as leader of the front line, fresh blood is inevitable.
While Defoe was busy declaring his discontent to the world’s media, it was perhaps the comments of one of his team-mates to the media on the same day which could spell trouble for the diminutive striker’s future.
Rafael Van Der Vaart confirmed he was happy to stay at Spurs for the remainder of his contract, and should Osvaldo join the club to link up with the Dutchman playing just behind him, it is difficult to see where Defoe fits in.
With Harry Redknapp’s insistence of playing Peter Crouch up front on his own in Europe, should Spurs secure Europa League football for next season, Defoe’s opportunities look to be even more limited than ever.
He remains a dangerous striker with a natural instinct for scoring goals. Had his season not been disrupted so badly by an Achilles injury he may have been able to replicate the form that saw him force his way into England’s summer plans in the first place.
But with the pressure on Redknapp to match Man City blow for blow and the failure of the club’s front line to fire in the second half of the season, Defoe may find himself marginalised – Redknapp must be seen to do something about the lack of goals and show ambition with a big name striker joining the club in an attempt to match City.
So where does this leave Defoe? Unfortunately the man who has endeared himself to the Spurs faithful may find his best days at White Hart Lane have been and gone.
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