WATCH: According to reports, Jermain Defoe has been sold to Sunderland AFC of the English Premier League leaving TFC supporters wondering where the team goes from here. Rob Leth reports.
The Jermain Defoe transfer saga is finally over with Toronto FC selling the England star striker to Sunderland.
A source confirmed the deal, which ends Defoe’s roller-coaster year in Major League Soccer.
Toronto had been looking to send Defoe to Sunderland with U.S. international forward Jozy Altidore and cash coming back to TFC.
That could still happen. But Altidore’s return to MLS will have to go through the league’s allocation process which governs the return of players to the league.
Sunderland (3-7-11) currently stands 16th in the English Premier League, one point above the relegation zone.
Defoe’s future has been cloudy since Toronto turned down a franchise-record transfer fee from an English team at the end of the summer transfer window.
That turned into a soap opera and Toronto execs were determined to resolve the matter in the January transfer window before Defoe’s return date of Jan. 17.
When healthy, the 32-year-old Defoe was a force to be reckoned with in North America.
He scored three goals in his first two games and had 11 in the first 16 games of the 2014 campaign despite missing three matches through injury.
But he did not score again, missing 12 of the next 18 games though suspension or injury.
Defoe returned to England for injury rehab as rumours swirled about his future. And Toronto (11-15-8) failed to make the playoffs for the eighth straight year.
Defoe arrived to unprecedented fanfare last January along with star U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley before a balcony full of chanting, singing fans at the hangar-sized Real Sports Bar & Grill.
“To come here and to have a reception like that is unbelievable. Such a great feeling, I feel at home already,” Defoe said at the time.
A double-decker bus was parked outside the news conference where Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, touted the signing of what TFC billed as a “global football superstar.”
At some US$10 million apiece, Defoe and Bradley each broke the MLS record for transfer fees. Toronto had started the spending spree in December by signing Brazilian forward Gilberto, another marquee designated player.
The club trumpeted the signing of Defoe with a marketing campaign titled “It’s A Bloody Big Deal,” a slogan it perhaps began to regret as the forward’s future became murkier and the losses mounted as the season wore on.
The slender five-foot-seven striker said at his unveiling that he was here “to win trophies and do my best for the club and the team.”
But a season that started with goals ended painfully with the former West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham star on the sidelines.
Defoe was clearly upset that some had questioned both his commitment to the club and the extent of his injuries.
“There are a few fans that have said certain things and I’m like ‘well that’s a bit harsh,’ but obviously I would never retaliate,” he told reporters in October. “But at the same time, I think if you do want someone to stay at a football club, at least support them. At least show them that you want them to be here.”
Defoe said he had never publicly asked to leave Toronto but didn’t know what the future held. Toronto, meanwhile, said while he remained their property the club would listen to offers.
Still the assumption remained that Defoe wanted to move on and Toronto was willing to accommodate him, as long as it recouped its considerable investment.
Defoe underwent surgery to correct his groin problem in the off-season and was given permission by Toronto to train for a week with Tottenham as part of his fitness regimen.
Defoe scored 142 goals during two spells at Tottenham and is the club’s top scorer in European competitions.
Leiweke said TFC would lose money this season due to its investment in its designated players. On the plus side, the club set a franchise record for attendance in 2014.
Toronto drew 375,463 fans to BMO Field, up 30,928 over the previous franchise record of 344,535 set in 2011. TCC attracted 15 straight sellouts of 22,591 before attendance at the two final home games dropped to 18,269 and 18,329, respectively.
The club drew 308,233 fans in 2013.
Toronto averaged 22,086 a game this season, second only to the Seattle Sounders (43,734) and well above the league average of 19,147.
In contrast, the Vancouver Whitecaps averaged 20,408 (346,943 in total, fifth in the league) and Montreal 17,421 (296,159, 11th).
Toronto had 17,000 season-ticket holders in 2014 – its most ever – with a waiting list of 3,000.
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