10 dumbest signings of the summer

Jermain Defoe – Bournemouth

Jermain Defoe joined Bournemouth on a free transfer in late June. The strikers is currently seventh all-time in Premier League goals scored. Bournemouth needed another striker to allow some pressure to be taken off of Josh King, who more than doubled the total of the next highest goal scorer in the club last season.

So why is Defoe included here? Bournemouth are one of the smallest clubs in the Premier League, and they cannot afford to be paying Defoe what he’s earning at 34 years old. He was earning somewhere around £70-80,000 a week at Sunderland, who were relegated from the Premier League last season for making similar mistakes.

Last season, the Cherries took on Jack Wilshere and his wages on loan and saw that experiment fizzle out quickly. One would think they learned their lesson there, but this move sends a different message.

Bournemouth were third worst in the Premier League last season in goals against. Their 67 conceded goals were easily the worst in the top half of the league where they finished. The next closest was Southampton, who gave up 19 less goals than Bournemouth. The Cherries actually scored more goals in the league than Manchester United. The money spent on Defoe over the three year span could have been invested in defense they painstakingly need. Not to mention the striker will be 37 years old when his contract is up. Only a handful of players ever have even scored a goal at that age, and it’s likely that none of them were on his wages, either.