Fulham have had a £5m offer for Jermain Defoe rejected by West Ham, according to widespread reports this evening.
Chris Coleman had made the 21 year-old striker his first choice replacement for Louis Saha but fears he will be priced out of a move for the England under-21 international hotshot as the bigger clubs circle. Defoe has scored fifteen goals for the Hammers this season but has just eighteen months remaining on his current contract and is desperate to leave Upton Park for the Premier League.
Both Arsenal and Manchester United have expressed an interest in signing Defoe, although the pair of suitors have so far fallen short of matching West Ham’s £8m valuation. Coleman is understood to be realistic about Fulham’s inability to compete with the top Premier League sides in a transfer battle and is now considering other alternatives as he seeks to add to his striking options before the end of the January transfer window.
