The other shoe hasn't completely dropped but it's hanging on by a shoelace at the moment. Clint Dempsey has been left out of Fulham's opening day squad against Norwich City, confirming that he's ready to leave, something we already sort of knew. Of course, head coach Martin Jol's comments may actually count as the shoe dropping.
Martin Jol Confirms Clint Dempsey Will Not Be in Fulham’s Squad Against Norwich City
Here’s what Jol had to say today:
”Clint was not involved over the last four weeks so he is not going to be in the squad.
“He is not committed to the club. He wants to leave. I would like to keep him, but I think it’s impossible. It’s a sad and an almost embarrassing situation.”
Sounds crystal clear and it can’t really come as a surprise to Fulham fans that Dempsey is on his way out of Craven Cottage. The American midfielder has been absent from the club’s pre-season matches and skipped out on the US Mens National Team’s friendly against Mexico on Wednesday.
Jol also stressed that Dempsey would only be sold if the club receives an appropriate bid, but that’s what a club always says when they are about to be forced to sell a star player.
The question now becomes where will Dempsey go. Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers has been hinting at his interest in Deuce and while the move doesn't make sense based on Dempsey's expressed desire to play in the Champions League, it would be a step up in terms of the club's stature. Then there was the NESN story that was accidentally posted claiming that Dempsey was a Liverpool player. NESN is essentially the propaganda arm of the Fenway Sports Group, who owns Liverpool.
There are plenty of clubs across Europe who could use a player like Dempsey for their Champions League campaign, but all signs point to him wanting to stay in England. With time running out in the transfer window, a deal will have to get done quickly or Deuce and Jol might be forced to have a serious heart to heart.
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