Clint Dempsey: How This Weekend's EPL Results Might Affect What Happens Next

Now into the second week of the English Premier League, the Clint Dempsey transfer saga is still up in the air with the transfer deadline rapidly approaching.

Here is how the Matchday 1 and Matchday 2 results from England might affect which Premier League teams make a last-minute bid for the American goal scorer.

Tottenham is off to a rocky start under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.

On Matchday 1, Tottenham lost to Newcastle 2-1 and followed that performance with a disappointing 1-1 home draw against perennial EPL bottom feeders West Bromwich Albion.

With AVB talking about adding a new midfielder (per Goal.com), Dempsey could become a last-minute target.

So far this season, AVB has preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation and Dempsey’s versatility could help him compete for any of the four spots up top.

In addition, Dempsey would provide much more firepower from the wide position than Aaron Lennon. Lennon, who has started both games for Tottenham so far this year, has never scored more than five goals in one season in his entire career. Dempsey, on the other hand, put 23 goals in the back of the net last season.

While avoiding Tottenham might be a good idea for Dempsey, as it looks like AVB is way over his head in English football, the one advantage of playing for Tottenham is that Dempsey and his family would get to remain in London.

With two 0-0 draws to open up the season and having lost Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and now Robin van Persie in the last two years, the Gunners desperately need someone who can consistently put the ball in the net.

Wenger and Arsenal are known to be particularly stingy in the transfer market, preferring to find players on the cheap who are either young and primed to develop, or a step past their best.

At a transfer value of £8 million (per Metro), Dempsey may be low-cost enough for Arsenal. Dempsey could play anywhere along the front four for Arsenal and add some much-needed grit to a team that has been notoriously soft, and trophy-less, over the past half-decade.

Even though Dempsey usually plays out wide or as a withdrawn forward, for Arsenal—a team that possesses the ball well up the pitch, but lacks a natural finisher—Dempsey could even play as the target striker because of his finishing ability, strength in the air and willingness to battle.

The danger, of course, with a transfer to Arsenal is that if Wenger doesn’t end up believing that Dempsey will help the squad, Dempsey will get stuck behind the plethora of new signings and talented youngsters Arsenal already has.

Winless in its first two games, including a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool could desperately use some firepower.

Even against Manchester City, in which Liverpool scored two goals, both of the goals—as beautiful as they were—were on set pieces.

However, the recent loan signing of attacking midfielder of Suri Nahin from Real Madrid may make this transfer less likely, as well as the bad blood already incurred between Fulham and Liverpool in this transfer battle.

The drama surrounding Clint Dempsey’s situation at Fulham has been well-documented.

After a summer in which Dempsey was tied with a switch to Liverpool and then left out of Fulham’s preseason camp, Fulham then claimed that Dempsey was refusing to train and fined him.

Dempsey then took to Twitter to defend himself.

There are two sides to the story.

— Clint Dempsey (@clint_dempsey) August 17, 2012

The truth will come out soon.

— Clint Dempsey (@clint_dempsey) August 17, 2012

After Fulham won its EPL opener 5-0 over Norwich, Fulham manager Martin Jol began to walk back his previous comments, saying “Hopefully he will play for us again.” Jol was also critical of Fulham fans who were mocking Dempsey with their chants during the win.

Then, after Fulham lost 3-2 to Manchester United this past weekend, Jol continued to offer an olive branch to Dempsey, saying  “I’d love to keep him” and “With me there’s no problem."

Even though a certain amount of bitterness would certainly remain, at least for a few weeks, Dempsey’s best option at this point may be to remain at Fulham.

With Fulham, he and his family stay settled in London, and he will continue to play at a club that needs him and will take full advantage of his talents.

Then, a year from now, he will be free to go wherever he likes.

Today’s news from Metro has Dempsey linked with a move to Sunderland, and while Sunderland is a fine club, it certainly is not the big step up Dempsey has been looking for.

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