... Spurs striker Jermain Defoe, who has twice turned down the chance to play for Newcastle under current boss Alan Pardew.
And those who know Pardew believe Defoe "blew his chance" and the Toon boss would not entertain him in future.
Apparently the England international is on Martin O’Neill’s radar – as Sunderland’s bid to sign Steven Fletcher stalls.
As far as Fletcher is concerned, Sunderland have reached complete deadlock, with Wolves now wanting colossal money for the wantaway striker.
The Black Cats have upped their offer three times in negotiations, and this week reached the £12m mark they’d been led to believe would trigger talks for the Scottish forward.
But the West Midlands club have now shifted their position, wanting a transfer fee in the region of initially £15m, rising to near £20m with add-ons for their star player.
Spurs hitman Defoe has been linked with Sunderland before – he was mentioned as a potential signing for Steve Bruce last summer, and also at the start of the current transfer window when it became obvious the club were seeking proven strikers this summer.