Jeff Graceffo - Clint Dempsey Leaves Tottenham for MLS

In a shocking announcement, Tottenham sold Clint Dempsey to the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer. Dempsey is by far the most successful American to play overseas, and it is very surprising to see him return to the U.S. while he still has a few years remaining in his prime.  I have mixed emotions about the move, but in the end it comes down to the dollars.


During his tenure at Fulham, Dempsey proved that he could compete at a very high level and after several years of very good production he finally earned a chance to play at an elite Premiership club, Tottenham Hotpsurs. Unfortunately for Dempsey, the acquisition was not a smooth one.  The transfer window saga carried on and he was not sold to Tottenham until the first week of the regular season so he was unable to train with the team and develop chemistry with them. In addition, Spurs had a first year manager who took the better part of a half season to figure out what type of team he had.  Dempsey failed to impress during this time, though he did score the game winner at Old Trafford as Spurs defeated Manchester United.

Throughout the second half of the year, Dempsey came to life as he finished the campaign with twelve goals in all competitions. However, Spurs fell just short of the Champions League with a fifth place finish. The failure to qualify for the Champions League set off a chain reaction that led to new purchases and sales, one of which was Dempsey to Seattle.  Tottenham knew that they had to sell Dempsey now in order to recoup the money that they initially paid Fulham for him. At age 30, that number would significantly decrease with each passing year so they cashed in now while they could.

In the end, Seattle paid $9 million to acquire the American star. The fee is fair, but the amount of money they're paying him per year is exorbitant for the type of player he is. Seattle will pay him more money than the Los Angeles Galaxy paid David Beckham. He will make nearly $7 million per year. It's the largest contract in league history.  While I agree that he's a star, he is not a guy that will bring fans to the edge of their seats. He is not Gareth Bale or Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he is a big name in American soccer and he may increase the television ratings enough to generate the revenue to support his salary.

By Jeff Graceffo

Dempsey's Farewell on ESPNFC
Right Move For Dempsey? on ESPNFC by Jeff Carlisle
Dempsey Getting Paid - Video on ESPNFC

Jeff Graceffo - Is Seattle the right move?