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Tuesday Kickoff: Liverpool makes push for Dempsey, Clasico dates set and more

Dempsey (Getty Images)

Liverpool may not be competing in the UEFA Champions League next season, but that's not stopping the Reds from emerging as a reported suitor for U.S. national team star Clint Dempsey.

Multiple reports from England claim that Liverpool is set for a transfer capture of Dempsey in the £7.5 million range that would facilitate his exit from Fulham. Should Dempsey move to Merseyside, he would not get the Champions League soccer for which he has openly expressed his desire, but he would play again in the UEFA Europa League, through Liverpool's Carling Cup triumph.

The reports come after new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claimed the club would be making its first signing of the offseason imminently saying, "The reality is we have only made three or four enquiries about players and hopefully can close out one deal this week which will be a real exciting one for the club, one the supporters will absolutely love."

Speculation was thrown into super speed Monday night, when images circulating the Internet of a Dempsey player profile page on Liverpool's website made the rounds, but those have been said to be fake and manufactured.

Here are a few more stories to get your day going:

CLASICO DATES SET

If you've been dying to know when the season's Barcelona-Real Madrid matches will be taking place, the wait is over. 

La Liga released its fixture schedule for the 2012-2013 season on Tuesday. Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet on October 7 at Camp Nou in their first league meeting of the season, and Real Madrid will host the second bout on March 3. Madrid and Barcelona will open the season against Valencia and Real Sociedad, respectively.

The two regular-season Clasicos are in addition to the two-legged Spanish Supercopa that the bitter rivals will play at the end of August, meaning at least four matchups are in the cards this season and more are possible depending on how the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey play out.

ABOUTRIKA MAKES EGYPT OLYMPIC SQUAD, PRAISES BRADLEY

Egyptian veteran Mohamed Aboutrika has been a central figure in helping patch together soccer in the country following the tragedy at Port Said in February, and he'll get the chance to shine on the international stage once again with the Egyptian Olympic team. 

The 33-year-old Aboutrika is one of Egypt's three overage players selected by Olympic coach Hany Ramzy, but before he goes to London to play for Ramzy, he had high praise for Bob Bradley, who came under scrutiny for Egypt's surprise elimination in African Cup of Nations qualifying.

"The political circumstances in Egypt definitely affected the national team’s displays. Bradley should be credited for the work he has done so far and for the fact that he did not abandon the team in such a difficult phase," Aboutrika told FIFA.com. "He is working in exceptional circumstances, and I believe he should remain in charge of the national team."

RANGERS CHALLENGE PLAYERS' TRANSFER STATUS

Five Rangers players have already found new homes with the club not being admitted back to the Scottish Premier League, but those transfers are being challenged by Rangers, who say those players are in breach of their contracts.

Steven Naismith (Everton), Steve Davis (Southampton), Steven Whittaker (Norwich City), Kyle Lafferty (Sion) and Jamie Ness (Stoke City) are all having their moves challenged despite being advised by the Scottish players' union to elect to not carry over their contracts to Rangers when the club moved to a new company, thus making them free agents. 

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Would you want to see Dempsey wind up at Liverpool? Who wins La Liga this year, Barcelona, Real Madrid, or a team from the rest of the field? What do you make of Aboutrika's comments? Think Rangers have any grounds to block the transfers of their players?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. When a foreign owner (or owners) take a team with immeasurable heritage and, through complete incompetency turn that club into a financial mess (loading it with debts to help balance their books outside of the EPL), you can understand supporter dissent. That it went on for ages and said owners refused to either resolve the problem or get out, there was genuine feeling that US owners (in this case at least) had no respect for the welfare of another countries then premier football club.

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  2. Of course you would blame the yanks, they were the problem after all. They had to be forcibly removed from the club! Clearly the American flag means more to you and I then it does to a handful of Liverpudlians, why should they care? They were trying to make a statement about their club. They went about it in a stupid way, but the statement was valid. That doesn’t mean they hate their new American owners, and that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t embrace Clint. Hell, they are touring the USA in a couple weeks. This is the stupidest argument I’ve ever heard. Generalize much?

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  3. Yea but Rodgers might be serious about wanting to move Carroll along – he’s never been one for a number 9 in the mold of AC.

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  4. Dempsey has no sell-on value, that’s partially why the fee is low. This will be his last $$$ move so any move after this will come at a loss.

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  5. I cannot stand it when ignorant people make even more ignorant comments. Yes, Liverpool has slipped, but great 30 years ago, only a couple of runs????
    -> Domestically: they (a) won the league the last time 22 years ago, (b)won and were runners up the League cup in 90’s, naughts (0’s), and teens (’10,’11,’12), (c) won the FA cup & were runners up in the 90’s and naughts (last time 2006),& teens (d)between 94/95 – 08/09, they finished outside the top 4 only 3 yrs out of 15 yrs. The last 3 years are an anomaly which will be addressed.
    -> In Europe (since 2000) they:(a)won Champions league 1 time, were runners up 1 time, & made it to the quarter finals at least 3 other times, (b)won UEFA Cup 1 time and made it to quarters or semis 2 other times.

    I am not a Liverpool fan (I am an American living in Europe), but they were and are still a great club and stands a much greater chance of fighting with the elite than Fulham. Inform yourself before making insanely incorrect, hyperbolic statements!

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  6. Porto just bought Jackson Martinez, Colombian international who played in Mexico, for 10 million euros. They ain’t going after Dempsey.

    He also won’t go to Germany since the Germans tend to buy young, cheap players and rarely splash big money on older players.

    Valencia has Piatti, Canales, Soldado, Jonas and Guardado as of right now and probably wouldn’t meet Fulham’s asking price.

    Atletico Madrid has Falcao, Adrian Lopez, Arda Turan, Juanfran and Salvio. They have just added Diego Costa and Borja Gonzales.

    Malaga has the money to purchase Dempsey but he wouldn’t be guaranteed PT.

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  7. It’s all about lawyers and suing each other now. That’s all Rangers are left with. If I were a player under contract to Rangers right now I’d be lawyering up. New owner paid 5.5 million pounds, and now he’s going to try his best to add value by not letting players leave.

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  8. Plus, as clever a coach as Wegner may be, he doesn’t exactly seem to grab for Americans, does he? Sadly, the lifting of that prejudice is a long way off.

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  9. Not that good? As opposed to what? He finished third in the EPL in goals and fourth for player of the year. He is peaking right NOW. He should be looking for a Champion’s League club right NOW. His age will only be a factor after he has a down year.

    I think best fit would be a French club. Lyon or Marseille.

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  10. I think Dempsey will succeed at the club level before anything the national level. He will have better players around him at Liverpool. I do get your point and I am a selfish USMNT fan too.

    But he is more likely to reach the finals in a major tournament with Liverpool then the USMNT and certainly not the 2014 World Cup. I think the best we can hope for is to get out of the group stages…and if I want to dream further maybe win a knock out game.

    We are just not that good yet for more than that…but I will keep hoping and rooting for my team. USA!!! USA!!!

    In the mean time let Dempsey continue to build his legacy as the best American footballer abroad(field player).

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  11. I’m not a big fan of this move. Liverpool is a bigger club than Fulham, that’s for sure – but if Dempsey wants CL football, I’m dubious that he’s going to see it with the Reds. They still aren’t better than the new top 4 and have to compete with Spurs for the 5th spot.
    Bigger club, that’s certain.

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