Posted on August 17, 2012
U.S. international Clint Dempsey wants to leave Fulham, says club manager Martin Jol, and the English Premier League team will sell him if the price is right.
One thing is certain: Dempsey won’t be in the lineup for Fulham’s EPL opener against Norwich on Saturday.
“If we get the right price for Clint we will sell him. If not, he will stay,” Jol said at a pre-match press conference in London on Friday.
Fulham has fined the 29-year-old Dempsey for his action, according to media accounts.
The Liverpool Echo reported on Friday afternoon that it understood that Liverpool FC has “no interest in signing the player.”
On Friday afternoon, Dempsey tweeted: “There are two sides to the story.”
Minutes later he added: “The truth will come out soon.”
As of 2:54 p.m. ET, he had not given any more details via twitter.
Dempsey, who scored 23 goals in 46 matches in all competitions for Fulham last season, has been linked to Liverpool. In fact, a story appeared on the website of the organization that owns the team that Liverpool had signed Dempsey. But it was taken down.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed club chief executive Ian Ayre had been in contact with Dempsey.
“Clint is a player we’ve enquired about, it is as simple as that,” Rodgers said.
Dempsey has not trained with the club after he left Fulham’s pre-season camp in Swizterland.
“I would like to keep him, but I think it’s impossible,” Jol said. “It’s a sad and an almost embarrassing situation.”
Jol said Dempsey wanted to join a UEFA Champions League club. That would not include the Reds.
“I’m not sure if Liverpool is in the Champions League but if you look at the size of Liverpool, it’s like a Champions League club.”
Jol added that there was never an offer from Liverpool.
“Clint himself told everyone he was going to Liverpool before he came back so we really thought there was quite a firm interest in him,” Jol said at the press briefing. “Even [Rodgers] told everyone he was interested in Clint Dempsey, but our people never had an offer on the table, so it’s almost embarrassing.
“If you have shown interest in a player, especially in England, you have to follow it up with an offer. They didn’t.”
Photo: If the price is right, Fulham will sell Clint Dempsey. Andy Mead/YCJ
Categories: North America, U.S.A.
Tags: Brendan Rodgers, Clint Dempsey, English Premier League, Fulham, Ian Ayre, Liverpool, Martin Jol, UEFA Champions League
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