Sunderland hero Jermain Defoe hints at January move as he struggles for Bournemouth game time

Eddie Howe's side are flying in the Premier League, with Callum Wilson in stellar form.

Defoe has made just seven appearances in all competitions this season, all of them from the bench.

Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “We’ll see what happens. At the end of the day I’m a footballer and I like playing football.

“I’m not playing football at the minute so we’ll see what happens.”

Earlier this season, Sunderland chairman Stewart Donald admitted on BBC Newcastle that he had made a 'cheeky' bid for the Sunderland hero in the summer.

"I asked in the summer if we could and the answer came we couldn’t," he said.

"We might ask again but it was a pretty strong no. It was a cheeky request though!

"I was wondering if they might contribute to his wages."

Eddie Howe responded to that by insisting that Defoe had a 'big future' at the club.

Defoe signed a lucrative three-year deal with the Cherries following Sunderland's relegation from the Premier League.

"Jermain has got a big future here," Howe said.

"He’s a very important player for a host of different reasons.

"His experience and wisdom he passes on to the players – he has always got a really good, useful thing to say in any situation.

"On the training ground he is really beneficial for everybody - for me and for the young strikers we have in imparting his knowledge on the pitch."

Should Defoe become available then there will be a queue of suitors.

Sheffield United have been strongly linked with a swoop as they push for promotion from the Championship.

They currently sit third in the table, five points off Leeds United in second.