By IVES GALARCEP
Some seven years ago, Clint Dempsey left Major League Soccer as a rising star on the verge of being special. He now returns to MLS as an established star ready to make the biggest splash by an MLS signing since David Beckham joined the league.
Dempsey is set to complete a move to the Seattle Sounders, with the MLS club agreeing to a transfer with English Premier League side Tottenham, sources confirmed to SBI on Friday night. He will be formally presented by the club on Monday. ESPN FC first reported the deal as being close to completed earlier on Friday.
NBC is reporting that the deal to bring Dempsey to Seattle is valued at a $9 million transfer, and a contract worth $8 million a year over four years. Both the transfer fee and contract would be the largest in MLS history.
Dempsey leaves Spurs after just one season with the club following an almost $10 million transfer from Fulham last summer. He managed 12 goals and six assists in all competitions with Tottenham during the 2012/2013 season.
The move is a surprising one for a player who only a year earlier had pointed to UEFA Champions League play as his leading motivation, but at the age of 30, and with a chance to make a big long-term move back to MLS, Dempsey ultimately have decided Seattle’s offer was too good to pass up.
Dempsey joins a Seattle squad struggling at the moment in a season that has seen injuries and inconsistency keep the talent-filled club from fulfilling expectations. The arrival of Dempsey immediately makes Seattle a legitimate title contender with arguably the most dangerous attack in MLS.
What do you think of this development? Shocked by the money being spent on Dempsey, or are you excited to see MLS spend that kind of money on an American star? Disappointed to see Dempsey leave Europe?
Share your thoughts below.