Just a week after seeing manager Roy Hodgson depart for Liverpool, Fulham could be losing Clint Dempsey next.
No, Dempsey isn't joining Hodgson at Liverpool, but according to Yahoo Sports, Dempsey is on the radar of Italian giant AC Milan.
If Dempsey were to join Milan, he would join U.S. teammate Oguchi Onyewu, who re-signed with the club after his injury-hit first season.
What do you think of Dempsey potentially joining Milan? Hoping he stays in the Premier League? Think USA-C Milan will stick as a nickname?
Share your thoughts below.
personally I’d like to see Gooch leave AC for a club where he will start.
Not happening. Part of the agreement for Roy leaving was no raiding of the Fulham roster.
Too bad, Liverpool liked him before they had Hodgson.
yep. every oohs and aaahs over Landon, but in my humble opinion Dempsey is the greatest impact player we have right now. Bradley and Altidre are coming into thier won, but Lando will cost a king’s ransom compared to Deuce.
Any major club in Italy or England would be smart to get him. Spain and GErmany might not be right for him and France wouldn’t pay.
Not a fan of this one. Ideally, Hodgson would take him along to Liverpool. AC Milan is basically turning into the team where footballing stars go to die (RUN PATO, RUN!). I just think his style of play fits the EPL. I’m certainly for getting away from Fulham this year, though. Without Hodgson at the helm I think they could have some real problems this next year.
yep to that.
Let me know when he signs on the dotted line. It’s fun to speculate, but I’ll bet there are about 15 other top teams lookin at Duece. I wouldn’t mind seeing him suit up for AC – only if he gets playing time though.
Why do you think you know more about Clint and his abilities than he does? I mean it’s his life, his choice. You act as if he was some high school senior being recruited by Alabama and you are an Auburn supporter.
Give the man a bit a of credit he’s not an idiot nor is he a star struck, stuck up teenager with more “advisers” than brains. You act like because he’s a pro athlete and you’re not you must be smarter.
It’s pretty offensive.
In like Flynn?
Sorry I thought I read he was retiring but maybe that’s jus from the Azzuri. Well, one more hard working guy won’t hurt.
None of the guys you mentioned are natural wide players like Dempsey, which is why I think he could play. And to say that Milan is so good that only Cruyff or Maradona in their prime could play is crazy, we’re talking about a team that finished a distant 3rd in league and crashed and burned in Champ’s League.
It is a risk, but I like that it is coming directly out of a world cup, if Dempsey isn’t playing he has a few years to make a switch and be up to speed for ’14.
I like it. Especially at this time in his career.
I’m not sure this is a good move, and I’d prefer that no Americans draw paychecks from that sleazebag Berlusconi, whose corruption makes Rod Blagojevich look like a boy scout.
That said, if he’s got a legit shot at playing time in Serie A, he should go for it.
Clint would start for AC..or as a minimum see considerable time. I think the US has finally reached a point where our top players are recognize as being good enought to play anywhere including the top clubs.
Not really that high on this (I wasn’t high on Gooch going there either).
At this point I think our established players (25-30 years old) should be targeting mid-table teams in one of the big 4 leagues. Guaranteed solid playing time and still get paid well. I don’t think we have a lights out world class player who is a locked down starter (for a top 10 team in the world) every week.
I also heard a rumor that Napoli was interested in Dempsey. I would be more welcoming of that move…but to be honest Fulham is my team and with all these departures I am quickly getting depressed. Hodgson with the red tie on made me vomit in my mouth a little bit.
Sorry but he is..not to mention Mr Becham your starting spot in LA is in jeopardy
I think many readers are discounting just how highly Europeans rate Deuce. He could very well start and excel for Milan. WE know he’s quality, but what we’re missing is that THEY know he’s quality, too.
I just don’t want him to leave Fulham. He’s why I drank the kool-aid.
Speaking solely from the perspective of a USMNT fan and supporter, this is a TERRIBLE idea that I hope is just speculation. Yes, Fulham is in disarray. Yes, a new coach might bring in his own men. But if the argument for this move is that Dempsey might not get PT at Fulham, why do we freaking think that he’d than get PT at Milan with Pato, Huntelaar, Ronaldinho and Inzaghi?
These big clubs that people like to admire from afar and think about how great it would be for our guys to play for–unless you’re someone like a Cruyff or Maradona in his prime (or conversely, someone with a lot of cred and rep right now like a U20 championship or winning the Golden Boot in the WC or starting on a Euro championship side), you’re talking about going there and spending a couple of years in your prime riding the bench, earning cred, learning the league and then eventually getting minutes.
What the Freddy Adu story tells us, at least on the first level (b/c there is more to Adu’s story than just PT), is that if you go somewhere and don’t play, than you’ll play yourself right off the US roster. Remember all those folks insisting that Arena needed to put Adu on the 2006 roster for seasoning in 2010 so we could build around him? Now it’s not inconceiveable that Freddy Adu never appears in a WC or Concacaf match for the US. He’s so determined to play in Europe and latch on to glamour teams, he’s not getting minutes, isn’t match sharp, isn’t growing his game. I tend to think that Gooch is in a similar situation. He’ll spend all year getting truly fit and sharp. But during that time, he won’t start for them. And then you’ll have a guy who really hasn’t played in many competitive matches in nearly 2 years trying to fight for PT in 2011–that’s a good way to end up a a permanent “depth” player (someone on the reserve squad who occassionally makes the “subs bench”). Can anyone say “Steve McManaman and Real Madrid”?
He’s not beating ME out for a spot!
I like it, all else being equal. Just so he plays.
hahaha! love it
Alright Milan has Pato, Huntelaar, Inzaghi, Ronaldinho and those are just the people listed as forwards. They also have a slew of young talent. Clint would really have to work hard to get into the squad but with the amount of games Milan will be playing i could see it happening.
Huh? Gattuso signed a contract extension thru 2012.
If this has any truth to it, I say Dempsey should take it. He’s got a good mentality and should give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, a move back to the premier league could always be done.
A big opportunity that I doubt Dempsey would pass up.
If it’s real interest by Milan though.
No sir, I don’t like it.
Agreed. The World Cup is over, so now is the best time to take this kind of risk and get paid. If things don’t work out in a year or two, you move back to another club to start the push to qualify and play in the 2014 Cup.
Yeah buit the point is at least he would be “hard working” and with Rino retiring, they will need at least one guy who fits that description, however limited you think he is.
Seems plausible. AC Milan still isn’t at a point in which they can throw money around and get big names (politically, not that the owner doesn’t actually have money to throw around), and American players are still a bit under-priced vis a vis their talent level. Milan knows they have an old side so I think Clint would have a legitimate shot of fighting for a spot, a fight in which his versatility, able to play anywhere in front of the back line except DM, will serve him well. It will probably be January before he gains a *regular* starting place, but I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing.
Is Dempsey still a non EU guy even though he has been at Fulahm for all these years?
Is that how it works? Isn’t there a possible exception?
Haha, you made my point for me. “heart and work ethic” will get him in Milan’s starting 11, but not skill? I like Clint but Milan is in trouble if this is true. Clint is a tricky, hard working but limited player.
With Hodgson gone, Clint will have to fight for his spot at Fulham anyway. The new guy is very likely to bring in new players.
If Milan are going to buy him it means they want him. Assuming the money is better, (it would have to be right?) he might as well go somewhere he can better himself. They are far more likely to have regular competition in Europe than Fulham. If he does well I’d say his chances of having a longer career are better in Italy. The food and the weather should be more to his liking. If everything else is equal, I’d say it depends on how it affects his wife and child. And it really helps to have Gooch there.
Frankly, Milan should also look at bringing in Michael Bradley and Donovan. This would really give them an injection of intensity.
This was what I was going to say. I would love Clint at AC Milan, but considering Italy’s new stance against bringing in more than 1 non-EU player I don’t think it will happen.
even if dempsey doesnt earn a starting spot initially, his heart and work ethic will lift him to the first 11. not too worried about that.
this is great. the more americans in top clubs the better.
Gooch is well liked with the Milan teammates even w/no playing time. Also its more of someone there in Milan he knows right off the bat and speaks English before learning Italian.
If it means a big payday for Clint, he should go. He isn’t getting any younger. Somehow I have a feeling he’d see regular time too.
So when is AC Milan going to begin playing in MLS then.
I kid I kid
I doubt this will happen. Serie A teams can only bring in 1 non EU player per year now. Do we honestly think Dempsey is their number 1 (non-EU) target? Would AC Milan bank on Dempsey single-handedly saving them from their offensive woes? I doubt it.
Tough call. They are in Champion’s League, but I hate that team and it would be weird to root for them. Gotta wonder how much he would get to play, but then again the real backlog in the line up is in CM, they don’t have too many guys playing on the wings.
Gooch is not exactly in like flint in Milan… not sure having him there is a huge advantage for Deuce.
His physicality would make him effective against Italian defenses. I’d rather see him go play for Liverpool or Everton though.
Yes. He would be a perfect complement to Ramos on the other side. He would also give them brand recognition in the Honduran market.
It’s great to see US players get noticed by “big time” clubs but sitting on the bench doesn’t make you a better player. My fear would be Dempsey would be sitting next to Gooch talking about S. Africa instead of being on the field becoming a better player.
No offense to to Bornstein but do you honestly believe this rumor?!
Dempsey is very highly regarded in Italy, with one of the big sports papers naming him in a top-10 players in the Premier League list. I don’t think this would be a case of going to a big club and being buried on the bench. Clint would play and do well in Italy, no doubt about it.
Any truth to the Bornstein to Real Madrid rumor?
Go Clint, MAKE real opportunities to play. Gooch has already shown that American players can be very hard workers and very professional…and not divas. They could both play this year.
I would rather see Deuce re-join New England! AC Milan is a sad retirement home bent on exploiting the merchandising value of hot-topics and has beens.
I see it as a good move for Clint, in his prime; playing in Europe and uncertainty at Fulham now w/Hodgson gone; better weather and has Gooch there to make the transition relatively smooth. Most important is regards to playing time and nothing new to Clint as Milan showed lack of fight w/aging players.
Stay away, Clint!!!
I like the idea of Americans at big clubs but, same as Donovan to Chelsea and Jozy to Barca (just made that up), I hope it would translate into real opportunities to play.
No!!!!!!