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The Daily Dempsey: Clearing salary around Anfield?

Fulham v Sunderland - Premier League

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Clint Dempsey of Fulham puts his thumbs up during the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Sunderland at Craven Cottage on May 6, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

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England newspaper The Mirror says Liverpool officials are attempting to offload midfielders Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing in short order, with an eye towards using the cash for the American international (who may or may not be on strike at Fulham, depending upon your definition of the word).

The story suggests that even a reduced valuation of about $12 million might be too much for the Anfield outfit without money raised from selling Adam, Spearing or whoever.

Sourcing, by the way, on this story? Nah.

Over there, it’s more of a guideline than a rule.

Speaking of which, and marked under the file of, “Whoa! Where did that come from?”: We find news that Sunderland might be kicking the Clint Dempsey tires. This story from the Daily Mail says so – not sourced, of course. But, details, details.

The problem is, Sunderland makes zero sense as a safe landing zone for the U.S. international. Getting out of Fulham was never about getting out of Fulham, per se. It was about passage into a club with larger ambitions. Specifically, it was about sipping from the cool, refreshing Champions League springs. Aahhh!

Sunderland is about as close to getting into Champions League as I am.

Fulham finished 9th last year, four spots ahead of Sunderland, where relegation talk is a perennial discussion point in Mackem-friendly pubs – usually beginning somewhere around October.

Besides, trading London for Sunderland? I’ve been to both. So has Dempsey. Let’s just leave it there.