Jermain Defoe is closing in on a return to English football as part of a swap deal involving Sunderland misfit Jozy Altidore. Gus Poyet has been working on a deal to end Altidore’s nightmare at the Stadium of Light by allowing him to leave the club and move to Major League Soccer side Toronto as part of a swoop for Defoe. Poyet is desperate to add firepower to Sunderland’s strike force and Defoe has pedigree in the Premier League after spells at West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth. Lazar Markovic nonchalantly trots away after giving Liverpool during their 1-0 victory at Sunderland . Jermain Defoe is closing in on a return to English football with a move to Sunderland . Defoe (right) has been training with former club Tottenham Hotspur and wants to return from the MLS . Black Cats misfit Jozy Altidore (right), pictured against Chelsea in November, could move the opposite way . 1 - Sunderland have won just once at the Stadium of Light all season and have the worst home record (nine points) in the Premier League. The biggest stumbling block to Defoe’s return remains his £70,000-a-week wages but the potential to trade Altidore has softened the financial burden for the Black Cats. Toronto had been holding out for a £6million transfer fee for the former England striker but are tempted by a straight swap provided Sunderland take on his massive wages. Defoe, 32, has been training with Tottenham’s Under 21 development squad to keep fit recently and, although there is no prospect of a deal at Spurs, he has no intention of heading back to Canada for the start of the MLS season in March. Markovic poked beyond Costel Pantilimon to score his first goal since moving to the Premier League . Emre Can grabs hold of Markovic as the Liverpool players rush to congratulate the goalscorer . How Poyet could have done with the former England striker in his ranks on Saturday as Liverpool coasted to victory without their own talisman. Brendan Rodgers did not want to expose Raheem Sterling to the coarse climes of the North East, where temperatures barely touched three degrees Celsius and wild winds whipped litter around the stadium. Instead, the player he believes will fire Liverpool to the top four was in Jamaica, relaxing and posting selfies amid the 30-dgree Celsius surrounds of his ‘winter break’. Liam Bridcutt was given his marching orders four minutes after half-time for two bookings . Bridcutt tripped Can as he marauded down the right into space to pick up his second yellow card . Rodgers said: ‘He will come back now and mentally it will freshen him up. It is not just the physical fitness but the mental fitness that he needs.’ The only surprise at the Stadium of Light was that Liverpool did not add to Lazar Markovic’s ninth-minute opener, a close-range poke after a forceful run into the penalty area. Sunderland, in comparison, lacked energy and invention, although they were arguably better after Liam Bridcutt was sent off early in the second half following a soft second booking for a trip on Emre Can, but they never truly threatened parity. Former Manchester City winger Adam Johnson smashed the bar in the second half for Sunderland . Markovic later struck the crossbar with this volley as Liverpool took control of the game in the North East .
Jermain Defoe could join Sunderland with Jozy Altidore moving to Toronto .
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker wants to return to the Premier League .
Liverpool beat Sunderland 1-0 at Stadium of Light on Saturday .
Lazar Markovic's ninth-minute goal separated the two sides .
Black Cats need to add goals to their game to avoid relegation scrap .
Jermain Defoe is closing in on a return to English football as part of a swap deal involving Sunderland misfit Jozy Altidore. Gus Poyet has been working on a deal to end Altidore’s nightmare at the Stadium of Light by allowing him to leave the club and move to Major League Soccer side Toronto as part of a swoop for Defoe. Poyet is desperate to add firepower to Sunderland’s strike force and Defoe has pedigree in the Premier League after spells at West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth. Lazar Markovic nonchalantly trots away after giving Liverpool during their 1-0 victory at Sunderland . Jermain Defoe is closing in on a return to English football with a move to Sunderland . Defoe (right) has been training with former club Tottenham Hotspur and wants to return from the MLS . Black Cats misfit Jozy Altidore (right), pictured against Chelsea in November, could move the opposite way . 1 - Sunderland have won just once at the Stadium of Light all season and have the worst home record (nine points) in the Premier League. The biggest stumbling block to Defoe’s return remains his £70,000-a-week wages but the potential to trade Altidore has softened the financial burden for the Black Cats. Toronto had been holding out for a £6million transfer fee for the former England striker but are tempted by a straight swap provided Sunderland take on his massive wages. Defoe, 32, has been training with Tottenham’s Under 21 development squad to keep fit recently and, although there is no prospect of a deal at Spurs, he has no intention of heading back to Canada for the start of the MLS season in March. Markovic poked beyond Costel Pantilimon to score his first goal since moving to the Premier League . Emre Can grabs hold of Markovic as the Liverpool players rush to congratulate the goalscorer . How Poyet could have done with the former England striker in his ranks on Saturday as Liverpool coasted to victory without their own talisman. Brendan Rodgers did not want to expose Raheem Sterling to the coarse climes of the North East, where temperatures barely touched three degrees Celsius and wild winds whipped litter around the stadium. Instead, the player he believes will fire Liverpool to the top four was in Jamaica, relaxing and posting selfies amid the 30-dgree Celsius surrounds of his ‘winter break’. Liam Bridcutt was given his marching orders four minutes after half-time for two bookings . Bridcutt tripped Can as he marauded down the right into space to pick up his second yellow card . Rodgers said: ‘He will come back now and mentally it will freshen him up. It is not just the physical fitness but the mental fitness that he needs.’ The only surprise at the Stadium of Light was that Liverpool did not add to Lazar Markovic’s ninth-minute opener, a close-range poke after a forceful run into the penalty area. Sunderland, in comparison, lacked energy and invention, although they were arguably better after Liam Bridcutt was sent off early in the second half following a soft second booking for a trip on Emre Can, but they never truly threatened parity. Former Manchester City winger Adam Johnson smashed the bar in the second half for Sunderland . Markovic later struck the crossbar with this volley as Liverpool took control of the game in the North East .
Jermain Defoe is closing in on a return to English during their 1-0 victory at Sunderland . Jermain Tottenham Hotspur and wants to return from the MLS . Black Cats misfit Jozy Altidore (right), to the Premier League . Emre Can grabs hold of Stadium of Light was that Liverpool did not add to Lazar Markovic’s ninth-minute opener, a