Changes are happening in London with Tottenham Hotspur parting ways with their manager Andre Villas-Boas. Normally a move like this would have almost nothing to do with MLS or Toronto FC but in this case the departure of AVB could have a direct impact on the negotiations going on that seemed destined to bring Jermain Defoe to BMO Field.

The sacking of AVB will raise a number of questions and concerns for Toronto FC fans with the real fear that a new manager could come in an pull the plug on the deal before it gets across the finish line. Whoever comes in to replace Villas-Boas could very well consider Defoe to be a more important part of the team and have plans to give him more playing time in the league which would be reason enough for Spurs to reconsider the deal.

When Defoe was stuck to the bench under AVB a move to Toronto made sense for all three parties. For Defoe the move would ensure he got the playing time he needed to try and earn his way into England's World Cup squad. For Toronto the deal would land them that big name in the attack that they have been chasing the past several months and for Spurs the deal would net them a nice transfer fee for a player who's value would only decline the longer he sat on the bench.

There are still reasons for TFC fans to be optimistic. There is a chance that the negotiations are far enough along that Spurs will not be able to pull the plug. If a deal is already in place for the transfer and it is just waiting to be announced then a change in management will have no bearing on the outcome of negotiations.

The other reason for optimism is that TFC was not in negotiations with AVB to make this deal happen. They were dealing with Daniel Levy, the Chairman of the club, and he will still be there to work with no matter what happens with the vacant manager position. When you consider the numbers being thrown around as potential transfer fees it is hard to see Levy pulling out of the deal after spending time trying to get every pound possible for the forward.

Then there is the fact that at this point Defoe seems to be far from happy at White Hart Lane and even a coaching change might not be enough to turn that around at this point. If he feels unwanted by Spurs and is already set on making the move to Toronto with that very lucrative contract then that is not going to suddenly change.

The sacking of AVB will likely cause Spurs to at the very least review the transfer and unless it is already completed there is a chance that it could fall apart. There are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic though for TFC fans and hopefully the club have already been in contact with Levy regarding the move to ensure that the deal remains on the table.

Now back to waiting and hoping that we will eventually get to see Defoe holding up a TFC shirt and not smiling at some point in the coming weeks.