Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe is on the verge of being signed by Toronto FC for a reported transfer fee of £6million, but Toronto will loan the footballer back to Tottenham until March when the MLS season begins, according to the Haringey Independent newspaper.

Toronto’s first game of the 2014 MLS season is on March 15 when the team plays Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field. By Toronto loaning Defoe back to Tottenham Hotspur until March, this will give Spurs manager Tim Sherwood the option of pulling Defoe into the squad for important upcoming games against Manchester City (January 29), Everton (February 9), Newcastle (February 12), Cardiff (March 2) and Chelsea (March 8), among many others.

Hear: Our exclusive interview with Jermain Defoe.

By continuing to be available for Tottenham Hotspur on loan until March, this will help Defoe’s chances of making the England squad for World Cup 2014.

The deal that will see Toronto FC sign Defoe is scheduled to be completed on Monday, with Defoe reportedly set to earn £90,000 per week.

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