FM17: Would signing Defoe help West Ham?

West Ham have seemingly pulled out of the race to sign Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, after co-chairman David Gold tweeted questioning his resale value.

How much do you think you could sell Defoe for when he’s 36? dg https://t.co/0aFF6ZCbfi

— David Gold (@davidgold) January 9, 2017

However, with the reported fee for the former Hammer at around £15m which, thanks to the generosity of the likes of Sky, is now peanuts for Premier League clubs, should Gold & Co have just taken the plunge?

Well, to find out whether or not they’ve made a mistake in bypassing the Black Cats striker, we asked our friends over at Football Manager to find out how he would have got on back in east London.

Defoe moves back to London in a deal worth £20 million and is deployed by Slaven Bilic as a lone striker with Dimitri Payet and Michail Antonio supporting him in attack on either wing.

The former Tottenham striker has an immediate impact for the Hammers, netting the opener in a 1-1 draw against London rivals Crystal Palace on his second debut.

Defoe’s best run of form comes between late February and mid-March when the Englishman scores four times in six games.

His goals prove crucial to West Ham’s season as the club consolidate a mid-table position in the league
The Hammers finish the season in 11th place on 45 points, after a poor start to the campaign.

Defoe makes 15 appearances for West Ham, scoring eight times and earning an average rating of 7.26.

So Hammers fans, would a return of eight goals in the second half of the season and a mid-table finish be worth the investment in January? Let us know below…