Sunderland owner Stewart Donald admits they tried to re-sign Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe last summer.
Defoe has made just 11 Premier League starts since joining Cherries on a free transfer from Sunderland in the summer of 2017.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Donald revealed he had enquired whether Cherries would be open to a deal.
He said: “I asked in the summer if we could and the answer came that we couldn’t.
“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.”
