The Seattle Sounders and Tottenham Hotspur are finalizing the transfer of U.S. national team star Clint Dempsey, who is expected to be introduced as the newest Sounder as early as Saturday, multiple sources told ESPNFC.com.
AP Photo/Alastair Grant
Clint Dempsey is finalizing a move from Tottenham to the Seattle Sounders.
Sounders GM and minority owner Adrian Hanauer declined to comment Friday, as did two other high-ranking Sounders employees reached Thursday evening. One said he didn't want to jeopardize his job by confirming that a move was imminent.
"But let's put it this way: I'm not surprised I'm receiving a call," that employee said.
The Sounders will pay Spurs an MLS-record $9 million transfer fee to acquire the 30-year-old forward/midfielder’s rights, according to an NBC Sports report. Dempsey's reported base salary of $32 million over four years would also be the largest sum in MLS history.
Dempsey will attend Seattle's match against FC Dallas on Saturday night and is expected to be formally presented Monday, SI.com reported Friday night.
Seattle announced Thursday afternoon that it had signed veteran midfielder Shalrie Joseph to a new contract, a move that opened up a designated player spot by restructuring Joseph's existing deal. That gave the Sounders the flexibility to add another high-earning star to complement current designated players Obafemi Martins and Mauro Rosales. MLS limits its clubs to a maximum of three DPs each.
Sounders coach Sigi Schmid told Seattle's KJR 950 AM radio that "right now there's nothing that's nailed down and concrete."
Schmid told the station that the move was necessary "to put us in a position to add something significant to our team before Aug. 8," when the midseason MLS transfer window closes.
Last month, a Tottenham spokesman refused to deny a Times of London report that Dempsey had been transfer-listed, telling ESPNFC that "there is always speculation during transfer windows, and we don't pay it any attention nor comment on it."
SportsNation: Dempsey to Seattle?
Clint Dempsey is near a move from Tottenham to Seattle. Is this good for one of America's top players?
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Fox Soccer analyst Keith Costigan reported Thursday on Twitter that Seattle was interested in Dempsey.
Dempsey's brother indicated Thursday night that the transfer was not happening, telling ESPNFC that the Texas native would "probably insist on being closer to home anyway when/if he does come," Ryan Dempsey said.
But sources confirmed to ESPNFC on Friday afternoon that an agreement with Seattle is indeed in place.
The move is shocking on several fronts. For one, the 2014 World Cup is less than a year away, and Dempsey has consistently spoken of his desire to play at the highest level possible. He's also been noncommittal in the past about potentially returning to MLS, where he played with the New England Revolution from 2004-06 before being sold to Fulham in January of 2007.
But the Sounders have proven to be among the league's most ambitious clubs, and they are also one of the wealthiest, thanks in part to the MLS-high 40,000-plus fans who attend each home game.
Dempsey moved from Fulham to Spurs a year ago for a fee of $9.6 million, and scored seven Premier League goals in 29 games in 2012-13, including two in two matches against eventual champion Manchester United. He added five more goals in non-league competitions.
Dempsey has made 99 appearances for the U.S., which he represented at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. His 35 international strikes rank second on the Americans' all-time scoring chart.
AP Photo/Alastair Grant
Clint Dempsey is finalizing a move from Tottenham to the Seattle Sounders.
Sounders GM and minority owner Adrian Hanauer declined to comment Friday, as did two other high-ranking Sounders employees reached Thursday evening. One said he didn't want to jeopardize his job by confirming that a move was imminent.
"But let's put it this way: I'm not surprised I'm receiving a call," that employee said.
The Sounders will pay Spurs an MLS-record $9 million transfer fee to acquire the 30-year-old forward/midfielder’s rights, according to an NBC Sports report. Dempsey's reported base salary of $32 million over four years would also be the largest sum in MLS history.
Dempsey will attend Seattle's match against FC Dallas on Saturday night and is expected to be formally presented Monday, SI.com reported Friday night.
Seattle announced Thursday afternoon that it had signed veteran midfielder Shalrie Joseph to a new contract, a move that opened up a designated player spot by restructuring Joseph's existing deal. That gave the Sounders the flexibility to add another high-earning star to complement current designated players Obafemi Martins and Mauro Rosales. MLS limits its clubs to a maximum of three DPs each.
Sounders coach Sigi Schmid told Seattle's KJR 950 AM radio that "right now there's nothing that's nailed down and concrete."
Schmid told the station that the move was necessary "to put us in a position to add something significant to our team before Aug. 8," when the midseason MLS transfer window closes.
Last month, a Tottenham spokesman refused to deny a Times of London report that Dempsey had been transfer-listed, telling ESPNFC that "there is always speculation during transfer windows, and we don't pay it any attention nor comment on it."
SportsNation: Dempsey to Seattle?
Clint Dempsey is near a move from Tottenham to Seattle. Is this good for one of America's top players?
Cast your votes!
Fox Soccer analyst Keith Costigan reported Thursday on Twitter that Seattle was interested in Dempsey.
Dempsey's brother indicated Thursday night that the transfer was not happening, telling ESPNFC that the Texas native would "probably insist on being closer to home anyway when/if he does come," Ryan Dempsey said.
But sources confirmed to ESPNFC on Friday afternoon that an agreement with Seattle is indeed in place.
The move is shocking on several fronts. For one, the 2014 World Cup is less than a year away, and Dempsey has consistently spoken of his desire to play at the highest level possible. He's also been noncommittal in the past about potentially returning to MLS, where he played with the New England Revolution from 2004-06 before being sold to Fulham in January of 2007.
But the Sounders have proven to be among the league's most ambitious clubs, and they are also one of the wealthiest, thanks in part to the MLS-high 40,000-plus fans who attend each home game.
Dempsey moved from Fulham to Spurs a year ago for a fee of $9.6 million, and scored seven Premier League goals in 29 games in 2012-13, including two in two matches against eventual champion Manchester United. He added five more goals in non-league competitions.
Dempsey has made 99 appearances for the U.S., which he represented at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. His 35 international strikes rank second on the Americans' all-time scoring chart.
