Revealed: How Liverpool's pursuit of Dempsey prompted his unprecedented exile

[Snibbo]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/09/07/3356326/revealed-how-liverpools-pursuit-of-dempsey-prompted-his

SPECIAL REPORT
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

When Tottenham provided Clint Dempsey with a timely exit from Fulham on deadline day, it did more than lay bare the power struggle between Brendan Rodgers and the Liverpool hierarchy.

It also provided a full stop to a fraught final chapter of Dempsey's five-and-a-half years in west London, one which threatened to derail not just his early season but his professional career.

Goal.com can reveal in detail the depth of the hostility between the US international and his employers during a fraught two-month period, featuring bust-ups with his manager, an exile from the club, an official Premier League complaint and a strong-armed intervention from a millionaire owner.

Liverpool had laid down a marker by expressing their interest in buying Dempsey at the end of last season, even before Brendan Rodgers was appointed manager on June 1.

There was nothing official or 'concrete', in the parlance of football executives, but it was clear to Fulham over early summer that the Merseysiders were on the trail of the scorer of 23 goals last season.

So convinced was Dempsey - regarded as a human dynamo for his capacity to play in every game for club and country - that he was joining Liverpool that there was a seismic shift in his attitude to the club he joined in January 2007.

Fulham were informed he would be reporting late for pre-season training, which began in the first week of July. In the event, he was four days later than originally scheduled.

This breach of contract was reluctantly accepted by the club and manager Martin Jol, partly because they assumed a formal bid for the player from Liverpool was imminent.

It was not. There were informal discussions with the Merseysiders about a player-exchange for Dempsey – with Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing among the names that cropped up – but no offer, the first hint that the Anfield purse strings were being tightly squeezed.

Fulham, knowing how difficult it would be to replace Dempsey's goals and impact in the final third, held out an olive branch by offering the attacking midfielder an improved three-year contract with the option of a fourth year. It was immediately rejected by the player who, at 29 and on the back of the best season of his professional career, felt it was the last opportunity he would get to sign for a Champions League calibre club.

The saga was brought into the public domain following an embarrassing error on July 18 by a website belonging to Fenway Sports Group, which published a link claiming that Dempsey was a Liverpool player.   

The story was hastily removed but Rodgers addressed the subject in an interview the same day.

"Clint is a player we've inquired about, it is as simple as that," Rodgers said. "Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club to see what the position is. That is where we're at. He's a very talented player but we don't like to talk about other clubs' players."

Rodgers assumed he was smoothing over a delicate situation but it prompted an angry response from Fulham. As revealed by Goal.com last month, the Londoners made an official complaint to the Premier League, claiming that Rodgers had broken the governing body's rules by effectively 'tapping up' the American.

Meanwhile, the discord behind the scenes was growing. Three days before Fulham were due to fly to Switzerland for a week-long pre-season training camp that began on July 30, a confrontation occured between Dempsey and Jol at Fulham's Motspur Park headquarters which ended up with the midfielder not going on the trip.

Jol claimed Dempsey refused to play, while the player told friends his manager told him he would not be travelling. What is not disputed is that, as explained by Goal.com, the pair exchanged strong words. In the words of one observer, they even "squared up" at one stage.

Dempsey made it clear that he wanted to quit the club for Liverpool and would do whatever was necessary to force a move. In turn, the Dutchman said the attacking midfielder would not be sold unless Fulham's valuation was met.

"Clint himself told everyone he was going to Liverpool so we really thought there was quite a firm interest in him" - Martin Jol


While Fulham's first-team squad was being put through their paces at an Alpine resort, Dempsey trained with the youth team. It proved to be only a temporary sticking plaster to what was becoming a gaping wound.

Wary that Dempsey's unhappiness would spread to impressionable youngsters who looked up to him, the player was ordered to train on his own away from both the senior and development squads.

With the new Premier League season on the horizon, still no bid arrived from Anfield. However, there was no prospect of Dempsey being involved in the curtain-raiser against Norwich City on August 18.

Jol made this abundantly clear at his pre-match press conference by going public with Fulham's side of the story for the first time.

In language that went beyond even Andre Villas-Boas' simultaneous strongly-worded bulletins on Luka Modric's Tottenham exit strategy, Jol said of Dempsey: "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. Clint himself told everyone he was going to Liverpool so we really thought there was quite a firm interest in him."

Dempsey responded by using his Twitter account to make clear his dissatisfaction at Jol's comments.  "There are two sides to the story," Dempsey wrote. "The truth will come out soon." The relationship between player and club was now almost irreparable.

By this time, Aston Villa and Everton had also made enquiries about the American but Liverpool, who were still trying to get Andy Carroll off the Anfield wage bill, had not followed up their own interest with a formal bid.

It is understood this prompted a series of "emotional" responses from Dempsey towards senior Fulham figures as his dream move stagnated, although the player was aware that other clubs were on his trail.

Recognising the unrest he was creating, Fulham acted decisively. It can be revealed that 10 days before the end of the window the club went to the extreme measure of banning Dempsey from the training ground and ordering him to train on his own at a local sports ground.

Mohamed Al-Fayed is generally a 'hands-off' owner and chairman, leaving the day-to-day running of the club to chief executive Alistair Mackintosh.

But he felt that Dempsey was treating the club with disdain, behaviour that he took personally. Al-Fayed vowed that the American would not be granted a simple passage out of the club, even if it meant Fulham failing to off-load an unhappy player who could leave for nothing when his contract expired in 2013. 


TOTTENHAM LATEST
11/2   Spurs are 11/2 to draw 1-1 with Reading with bet365 Conversations with Liverpool over a player-exchange for Dempsey continued in the middle of last week. Jordan Henderson and a number of junior Anfield squad players were discussed but an agreement could not be reached.

Villa sensed a late opportunity to end the rift between Dempsey and Fulham by making a bid less than 24 hours before the end of the window.

The offer, believed to be a £5m down payment supplemented by £2m in add-ons, was accepted by the Cottagers. Dempsey, however, rejected the move.

Positions were entrenched. With space on the wage bill freed up by Carroll's loan to West Ham, Liverpool finally made a formal bid for Dempsey last Friday afternoon but offered an initial instalment of only £3m.

As the clock ticked down, Fulham refused to budge on their valuation for Dempsey. As far as the club was concerned, there was no route back to the first team for the club's most prolific player.

There was even talk of an autumn loan to a Championship club. In the words of one insider: "the chairman wanted to teach him a lesson".

With Dempsey on the brink and Liverpool and Fulham locked in stalemate, Tottenham came to the rescue just as the sun was beginning to set on deadline day.

Spurs' hopes of replacing Rafael van der Vaart with Joao Moutinho were hanging by a thread and Daniel Levy made his now customary eleventh hour move to beef up the squad.

Levy matched Villa's offer, Dempsey leapt at the opportunity to join a Champions League calibre club and a car was dispatched to take him to Spurs Lodge and put pen to paper.

Finally, the summer's longest transfer saga was over. Tottenham had found a solution to their midfield hole, Fulham's tough stance had been financially vindicated and Dempsey had finally got a move, albeit not to his first choice club. For Liverpool, however, the problems were only beginning.

[LBNo11]

...an interesting chronological summary of events minus sensationalism.

I don't want to start a thread that is considered anti-American, especially about my former favourite player, but as Dempsey said,  "There are two sides to the story," and "The truth will come out soon."

The silence is deafening...

[dont stand me down]

Awful way for Clint to treat us,his actions have killed off any remaining good will toward him.

[MJG]

Moral of the story...don't tick off uncle Mo

[Banjax]

Does sound plausible, but think how quick we are to diss goal.com about transfer rumours during the window.

[LordNelson]

Moral:  bottom line--it's a business.  Don't let the emotions take over.

[Senior Supporter]

What isn't revealed, and possibly not even known, is what went on between Dempsey and/or his agent  and the Fenway people during the time he was in the USA. His late return, the publication of the report of his transfer to Liverpool and his claims that he was going there, all seem to suggest that there was behind the scenes activity at that time.

It really beggars belief that these players, who are paid more in a month than senior executives in many companies earn in a year, can have so little respect for their employers.

[cebu]

Ah, it's goal.com so you know it's true   090.gif

[Chopper]

I agree that Clint could perhaps have handled the situation better but I really don't hold any animosity towards him.

I can see that this really was his last chance to get a move to a "big" club and having provided us with 5 and a half years of exceptional service perhaps deserved to be treated in a slightly more adult fashion by the club (though it is nice to see us not get railroaded into a deal we didn't want, so plus points for the way we've dealt with Liverpool).

I wonder if this is partly Jol's personality. You're either with him or against him and he's not afraid to butt heads.

That said I think Clint might have got his move to Liverpool had he just towed the line a little longer and let his agent get on with the transfer shenanigans.

Sad way to end his career with us but Clint will remain a Fulham legend for me and I'll be proud to give him a warm reception if he plays against us.

[Wimbledon_White]

'Regarded as a human dynamo'? What planet are these yanks on? Ridiculous.

[jarv]

There was more dicussion about Demps. this week on American tv. Even the English pundits are saying stupid things about it all. I don't bother listening to it any more. Their insults towards Fulham "not being high calibre enough" are cr@p. I think it was Warren Barton, idiot!

[David_Keating]

Thank you Mr. Snibbo. imo, it smacks of 'I fought the law and the law won'.

[grandad]

We had the best out of him. He will never score 23 goals in a season again. He will be a bit part player for Spurs & will soon be back in MLS. He was ill advised & this will haunt him for ever more. Let this be a lesson to any player who thinks he is bigger than a club.
I congratulate Jol & Mo for their stance.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

I agree that Clint could perhaps have handled the situation better but I really don't hold any animosity towards him.

I can see that this really was his last chance to get a move to a "big" club and having provided us with 5 and a half years of exceptional service perhaps deserved to be treated in a more adult fashion by the club (though it is nice to see us not get railroaded into a deal we didn't want, so plus points for the way we've dealt with Liverpool).

I wonder if this is partly Jol's personality. You're either with him or against him and he's not afraid to butt heads.

That said I think Clint might have got his move to Liverpool had he just towed the line a little longer and let his agent get on with the transfer shenanigans.

Sad way to end his career with us but Clint will remain a Fulham legend for me and I'll be proud to give him a warm reception if he plays against us.

Players move to other clubs. That's understandable. Do you see any animosity towards Dembele who for many of us is a greater loss? So why is there towards Dempsey?

Yet another person having a dig at the club and Jol. If you turned up late for work, said something along the lines that you were not interested in doing what you signed a very lucrative contract to do because you were leaving shortly, how do you think your boss and employers would respond? Jol's the manager. If you don't want to play then what use are you to him or the club. I think they behaved very reasonably considering the circumstances they were place in.

Dempsey did not get the Liverpool move and damaged his reputation through his (and his agent's) own acts. He was very lucky to get the get-out-of-jail card with the last minute move to Spurs.

And anyone who calls him a legend loses all credibility in my eyes unless they mean legendary mug.

[Steve_orino]

After reading the article, I'm still waiting for the revelation...

Agree with Mr. Chopper, it didn't end with the grace I would have expected but we saw the best of CD & he was an improving asset to the Club year after year.  He provided several fantastic memories!  This was his last chance to for a 'payday' & a chance at Champs football.

I have a feeling that Mr. Grandad could be right too - CD could languish on the bench for Spurs & only be a bit-part player, rather unfortunate given how great he was for Fulham.

[west kowloon white]

His stance as a contracted highly paid player is impossible to defend,(trailer park upbringing ??) whatever the accuracy of any  press report's , Goal.com included .
Don't wish him ill-but has probably made a move to a club looking like this years Liverpool mess.Greed or ambition-platitudes after achieving move somewhat hollow gesture.
Well  done Mo.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

His stance as a contracted highly paid player is impossible to defend,(trailer park upbringing ??) whatever the accuracy of any  press report's , Goal.com included .
Don't wish him ill-but has probably made a move to a club looking like this years Liverpool mess.Greed or ambition-platitudes after achieving move somewhat hollow gesture.
Well  done Mo.

We have had others who behaved similarly such as Bullard. I suggest that it is more a consequence of attitude rather than background.

[Snibbo]

And what fails to make any sense to me is why he would see Liverpool as a "dream move".

[MasterHaynes]

I suspect his salary at Spurs will be little different unless he plays in 80% of their games and Spurs do well -big question mark against both - so has probably missed out on his last big pay day as well as his dream move to a mid table team who will be losing their manager by the end of this season. Will he be worried about that? of course not, its about playing at the highest level and proving himself.

[Yellow Jacket]

Top 5 Fulham players in the PL era. I'm not going to let emotion get in the way of that.