Jermain Defoe to Sunderland: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Sunderland have confirmed the signing of Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe, with the England international penning a three-and-a-half-year contract at the north-east club.

The Black Cats' official Twitter provided the news on Friday:

Defoe was clearly happy to seal the switch, which also sees Jozy Altidore leave the club, per Stuart Vose of Sunderland's official website: 

"

I am delighted to be here and I’m looking forward to the challenge. It is a great club and I’ve always enjoyed coming up here and playing against Sunderland because of the stadium and the supporters. It is a great place to play and I’m really looking forward to it.

"

Defoe leaves MLS after just one season, having only signed for the Canadian outfit early in 2014 after departing from Tottenham Hotspur.

The striker has long-term experience in the English top flight, having spent many years plying his trade in the Premier League for Spurs, West Ham United and Portsmouth.

In the 2014 MLS season, he netted 11 times in 19 appearances and also provided two assists, per WhoScored.com. 

He will undoubtedly be of great value to Gus Poyet's Black Cats, who currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, having won just three of their 21 matches this season.

Sunderland have had trouble finding the back of the net—scoring just 18 goals thus far—and Defoe could well be a key component as they look to avoid relegation.

However, as tactics expert Jonathan Wilson writes, Defoe "may be a short-term fix, but no more than that," per B/R UK:

Defoe was recently training with former club Tottenham during the MLS close season, per BBC Sport, so he should be able to return to full match fitness in no time.

There will be those who will question whether Defoe is still up to the job of scoring on a regular basis in the Premier League—a significantly higher standard of competition than MLS—considering his record late on in his Spurs career, per WhoScored.com:

But he certainly has a history of scoring goals in the English top flight, and he currently sits 14th on the Premier League's all-time scoring list with 124 goals. 

Sunderland fans, players and managerial staff will be hoping that Defoe can add significantly to that record in the second half of the 2014-15 season.