Liverpool issue grovelling apology to Fulham over Dempsey

zocoss SG

The Wigan manager breaks his silence on this summer's search for a successor to King Kenny and reveals he said no to Kop chiefs

Roberto Martinez has claimed he turned down the chance to manage Liverpool.

In an interview to be published on Tuesday, Wigan manager Martinez has spoken for the first time about the extensive talks he held with the Reds earlier in the summer.

“We must educate people," said the Spaniard. "In five or six years, we [Wigan] reap the benefits. Maybe I won’t be there then.

"But this is not why I stayed, when Liverpool made me an offer."

Asked why he did stay, causing Liverpool to hire Swansea's Brendan Rodgers instead, Martinez - who went on a sign a new deal with the perennial relegation battlers - insisted it was because of the support of chairman Dave Whelan.

“I stayed because my chairman is unique," he continued.

Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rodgers

In with the new: Rodgers has followed Dalglish into the Anfield hot-seat

"This summer, we sat down together. He had thought about the future of the club, I’d done the same.

“He knew that I had spoken with other clubs. But he is so persuasive... I extended my contract for three years.

“He wants to take the club to the next level. I know it will be difficult, but it excites me a lot."

zocoss SG

Let me go: Fulham's Clint Dempsey is keen on a move to Liverpool

Fulham have made a formal complaint to the Premier League about Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers' pursuit of Clint Dempsey.

The Londoners insist Rodgers has broken rules by going public with his interest in Dempsey.

The complaint was lodged in July and was discussed at a meeting of the Premier League board, according to Goal.com.

A statement read: 'The Premier League has received a complaint from Fulham FC regarding certain comments made by Liverpool FC officials and is currently looking into the matter.'

The Premier League is expected to write to all parties before deciding whether to take further action.

Out of the way: Brendan Rodgers (right) is in Edinburgh as his Liverpool side face Hearts in a Europa League play-off

Standing firm: Martin Jol says there have been no bids for Dempsey

The complaint relates to comments made by Rodgers when quizzed about his interest in Dempsey.

A story appeared on a website belonging to Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, last month claiming Dempsey was a Reds player. The article was quickly removed.

Rodgers said at the time: 'Clint is a player we've inquired about, it is as simple as that.

'Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club to see what the position is. That is where we're at. He's a very talented player but we don't like to talk about other clubs' players.'

Dempsey will once again be missing from the squad when the Cottagers travel to Old Trafford for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United.

The United States international has been dropped by boss Martin Jol after agitating for a move to Anfield, missing last weekend's 5-0 rout of Norwich.

Jol is frustrated by Liverpool's conduct and feels a distracted Dempsey is unfit to play once more.

'It's the same situation. There has been no formal bid on the table and nothing has changed,' Jol said.

zocoss SG

Kop in Clint ‘tap-up’ storm

Liverpool were left red-faced after accidentally “announcing” they had agreed a deal for the American in the newsfeed on the official website of Anfield owners Fenway Sports Group.

The Premier League confirmed Liverpool have been asked to explain their actions and could face sanctions.

A statement read: “The Premier League has received a complaint from Fulham regarding certain comments made by Liverpool officials and is looking into the matter.”

Fulham also claim comments by Kop boss Brendan Rodgers have helped unsettle their 29-year-old star and the Premier League board, which convened last week, accepted Liverpool have a case to answer.

The Reds have to respond over the next fortnight and the Premier League board will decide next month whether to refer the case to a three-man independent panel.

Top officials told SunSport last night that this case is not as blatant as the infamous tap-up row between Arsenal and Chelsea over the transfer of Ashley Cole six years ago.

The Blues were fined £300,000 and copped a suspended three-point deduction.

Dempsey-gate began when an initial £5million offer was rejected even though the player has only one year left on his contract.

Fulham have been demanding £9m but Rodgers has refused to meet the asking price.

It is understood the saga could be drawing to a close as the Reds were set to go back in with an improved £7.5m bid.

Fulham are hoping to replace Dempsey with the £3.5m capture of Arsenal misfit Park Chu-Young.

The South Korea striker, 27, knows he has no future at the Emirates.

zocoss SG

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers will be fuming after being left in the lurch by both the player and his board

All white on the night: New signing Clint Dempsey with Spurs shirt

Clint Dempsey has completed a shock move from Fulham to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for £6million.

Dempsey arrived on a three-year deal after Aston Villa and Liverpool failed to land the United States forward.

Fulham accepted a £7m bid from Villa earlier on Friday and turned down £4.5m from Liverpool but the forward held out for a move that suited him better.

Dempsey joined Fulham in 2007 from New England Revolution, scoring 60 goals in 224 appearances for the Craven Cottage team.

He had been hankering after a move to Liverpool all summer, but he is now more than happy to have signed for Tottenham.

Big miss: Dempsey was influential in Fulham's campaign last season

'To play under this head coach and play for this club is a dream come true. I want to make the most of it,' Dempsey said on Tottenham's Twitter feed.

'There are a lot of great players here, I'm looking forward to training and playing with them.'

Dempsey had not played for Fulham this season after it became clear he wanted a move, but he added on Tottenham's website: 'A lot was said and written ahead of me leaving Fulham. It wasn't how it was portrayed, but that's in the past now and we move on.

'I want to thank the fans for everything, some of the best memories I've had in football, and thank the chairman for giving me the opportunity to come from the MLS and compete over here.

'All I can say is thank you and now I'm looking forward to the next challenge.'

Meanwhile, Norwich have announced the signing of Tottenham striker Harry Kane on a season-long loan.

Kane was expected to figure in Andre Villas-Boas' plans this term, but the Spurs boss has decided that the 19-year-old would be better off at Norwich after he signed Clint Dempsey just before Friday night's deadline.

Kane scored seven goals in 19 starts while on loan at Milwall last season and also featured heavily in Tottenham's Europa League campaign.

'I'm delighted to bring in someone of the quality of Harry,' Norwich manager Chris Hughton said.

'He is a very talented young player and has bags of potential.

'He enjoys scoring goals, as he shown coming through the ranks at Spurs and during some good loan spells as well.'

zocoss SG

Heading to the Lane: Hugo Lloris has joined Tottenham

France No 1 goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has joined Tottenham from Lyon on a four year deal.

The fee is £8m which could rise to £12m - and the Ligue 1 side also say they are entitled to 20 per cent of profit should he leave White Hart Lane.

Lloris meets the specific requirement of Villas-Boas. The 25-year-old is an athletic keeper capable of operating outside his area, enabling his back four to play higher up the pitch.

He cannot play against Norwich on Saturday and will compete for a place with Brad Friedel.

Lloris thinks that he has joined a club that is capable of qualifying for next year's Champions League.

'I am here because I believe in Tottenham," the goalkeeper told Spurs TV Online.

'I think everything is OK for the future of Tottenham. They have great team, great players, and a great coach so everything is all right, I think, to win a place in the Champions League next year.

'Now we have to prove that on the pitch and I am ready to give it my all for the club and for the fans.'

The deal had looked to be in doubt earlier in the day after the Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas accused Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy of moving the goalposts and said negotiations were the hardest of his 25 years at the top.

Speaking after Friday afternoon's Europa League draw in Monaco, he said: 'We have had people speaking all night with Daniel Levy. He talks a lot and goes back on what we've agreed in writing.

'Agreements have not at all been respected. We've done what we can. Hugo has been troubled by the difficulty in these negotiations.

Main man: Lloris will compete with Brad Friedel for the No 1 jersey

'It's been very, very difficult. I've got 25 years of experience as a president of a club and it's our 16th participation in a European competition in a row. But this is very rare in the football world.

'The negotiation with the Tottenham directors has been the hardest I have ever had to undergo in these 25 years.

'We had email exchanges which have been contradicted, so that's made it very complicated. It's difficult.

'The Tottenham board's theory is to explain that the economic market is very hard and so we have to get used to renegotiating.

'The first negotiation was at the start of the window, about a month and a half ago, and then nothing for about a month and a half. The negotiation then picked up again about a week ago.'

zocoss SG

Target: Liverpool could sign Owen

Brendan Rodgers will consider a move for Michael Owen after seeing his goal-shy side comprehensively beaten by Arsenal at Anfield.

The Liverpool manager admitted he would never have let Andy Carroll go to West Ham on loan had he known he would not be replaced. His team looked desperately short of firepower as goals from two of Arsene Wenger’s new signings, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, won the game for Arsenal.

Rodgers is so short of options up front that he is prepared to approach Owen to discuss a controversial return to Anfield, eight years after the striker left for Real Madrid.

He scored 158 goals in 297 appearances between 1997 and 2004 but his move to Manchester United in 2009 was badly received on The Kop.

Stoke have been pursuing Owen, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester United, and have offered him a two-year deal worth in the region of £1.5million a season.

Sunderland have also shown interest but Owen, 32, wants to stay in the North West and the chance to rejoin Liverpool may be impossible to resist.

Plenty to ponder: Rodgers wants to sign a free agent to strengthen his squad

Rodgers needs to bolster his ranks and, after seeing Tottenham hijack the signing of Clint Dempsey, he is considering drastic measures, though there is little chance of offering Didier Drogba a return from an unhappy spell in China.

Rodgers said: ‘Any player that I believe can improve the squad, I will look at. We have got a very small group here.

Liverpool lost out to Tottenham after they offered only £3m for Dempsey on deadline day and Fulham are understood to be furious with how Liverpool conducted their attempts to sign the American.

When asked if he would have let Carroll go on loan to West Ham, knowing what he would be left with, Rodgers simply replied: ‘No.’ A clause in the deal that took Carroll to Upton Park could see him recalled to Anfield in January.

Slow start: Liverpool have not won yet in the Premier League this season

Unlike last season, when Arsenal won at Anfield in fortuitous circumstances, the visitors were comfortable winners on Sunday after goals either side of half-time from Podolski and Cazorla.

Wenger said: ‘Podolski is deadly when he gets a chance. When you have good spirit and good work-rate in the team, you always have possibilities. I am very pleased with the potential of this team. We have a good feeling.

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1) SG

worry about strikers replacement?

Buy Heskey or consider loaning Giroud to you?

Jacky Woo SG

this is a disaster waiting to happen. manager trusts the owner will buy, but in the end, didnt buy. didnt he has a backup plan or foresight to see this coming? he also releases bellamy and sold kuyt.

the omens are, he will probably be sacked by November if liverpool still hovers at relegation. even an experienced manager like hodgson also didnt fare too good, much less rodgers at 29 years old. he has much to learn from this. if he is sacked, wonder who will the owner employ? benitez? most likely rednapp, as he is free after being sacked by spurs.

Liverpool still have not learnt after all these years that you cannot anyhow appoint a manager and hope to win trophies. you need a winner that can guarantee you trophies every season, like mourinho.

I.imba SG

this is a disaster waiting to happen. manager trusts the owner will buy, but in the end, didnt buy. didnt he has a backup plan or foresight to see this coming? he also releases bellamy and sold kuyt.

Liverpool still have not learnt after all these years that you cannot anyhow appoint a manager and hope to win trophies. you need a winner that can guarantee you trophies every season, like mourinho.

If you really want a new manager, Rafa is petty good.

He is one of the better manager thoughout Liverpool's history already.

Cant believe he is sacked for finishing outside top4 just for a season.

zocoss SG

Escapee: Clint Dempsey moved to Spurs not Liverpool

Swap deal: Stewart Downing considered as part of a deal for Dempsey

Brendan Rodgers’ determination to land Clint Dempsey has been laid bare after it was revealed he attempted to broker the deal by offering several Liverpool stars in exchange.

Rodgers had agreed a swap in principle with Fulham for Jordan Henderson but it now appears that Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique were also mentioned as possible departures.

Agents circulated the players’ names to rival Barclays Premier League clubs in the hope of raising the money that would clinch a deal for the United States forward.

Liverpool’s manager was also attempting to land an experienced left back — either as a rival to Enrique or as his replacement — as the clock ticked down towards the end of the transfer window.

The moves came to nothing as Dempsey agreed a late switch to Tottenham, scuppering Rodgers’ attempt to land one of his prime targets of the summer.

However, Joe Allen, one of his main captures, said that his move to Anfield had given him confidence to perform at the highest level he can. ‘The level of faith shown in me has been flattering,’ said the 22-year-old midfielder.

‘It inspires me to go out and perform. From a confidence point of view, it’s been beneficial.

‘What I have seen is that you have to be confident, bordering on arrogant, and you see the difference it makes to the top players.

‘I told myself at the start of the season that I’m going to give it everything I can for club and country. I can’t really do any more.’

zocoss SG

Aussie rules: Alessandro Del Piero has signed a two-year deal with Sydney FC

Alessandro Del Piero has completed his move to Australian club Sydney FC, despite reported interest from Liverpool.

The 37-year-old former Juventus striker confirmed the deal at a press conference in Turin where he announced he has joined the A-League side.

'I'm happy to have signed with Sydney and for the next two years I will play with them,' Del Piero told reporters at Wednesday's press conference.

'A lot of clubs contacted me, Italian teams too and I thank all of them. Today my new adventure starts and my emotions are mixed.

'I thank Sydney for this opportunity and his fans that already adopted me. I will discover a fantastic city and a fantastic country. I am grateful to my family for being with me in every moment.

'I will continue to cheer Juventus. In Australia I will be able to deepen my passion for rugby. Above all I'm here to score a lot of goals and to try to improve Australian football with my experiences. I hope Australian people love football.'

Del Piero's move to Sydney hit the headlines last week when completion of the deal was delayed after Liverpool and Barclays Premier League rivals Southampton both reportedly made late offers.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers admitted his frustration at failing to bring in a replacement for Andy Carroll after the striker was loaned to West Ham before Friday's transfer deadline.

Sydney chief executive Tony Pignata claimed that Liverpool had made a late attempt to hijack the deal.

'Liverpool have come in - and they're a big club, there's no denying that,' Pignata told Fox Sports Australia.

In addition to Liverpool and Southampton, Sydney also have reportedly also fended off interest from Champions League clubs Celtic and Braga as well as Swiss side Sion.

Plenty to ponder: Rodgers has struggled to targets in the transfer market

Del Piero, who turns 38 in November, made 91 appearances for Italy and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Juventus.

He will join a list of former stars to have joined the A-League late into their career that includes the likes of Robbie Fowler, Romario, Juninho and Dwight Yorke.

charlize SG

This looks like the beginning of the end.

Jacky Woo SG

liverpool are getting desperate. they are in this situation thru their own making.

heard that drogba and anelka are a free agent, as they were released by their club, shenzhen due to some dispute with their owner and club? liverpool can consider signing them if it is true as drogba still can play in the top flight, as he is 34 only.

dragg SG

liverpool are getting desperate. they are in this situation thru their own making.

do you think the liverpool owners will meet their wage demand?

Jacky Woo SG

do you think the liverpool owners will meet their wage demand?

I dunno and I dun care. its their problem. their fans will be the judge if the owner is good for the club or same as the previous greedy yanky owners. liverpool tend to make mistakes twice or many times, they never seemed to learn their lesson well. previous yankee owner already like fark, still accept the current yankee to buy their club? same as the appointment of manager. their managers since 1991 have been all half past six, except for houllier and rafa, who won some cups under their tenure, but never won the holy grail ie the league title since 1990.

I.imba SG

league is not so easy win de, need to built up slowly one.

Rafa is very close to it and they finished second place, then somehow Xabi alonso and Mach(something) gone to real and barca, then they screwed up liao.

That time their team is very strong with Alonso and Mach(something) with Gerrard in the midfield. Then Torres is at the top of his form.

Somehow they just screwed up so hardcore.

Jacky Woo SG

as a new manager comes in and take over, he tried to make too many changes too quickly, reminded me of AVB last season and he lost the dressing room.

remember souness when he took over from kenny in 1991 when he resigned. he rid of peter beardsley, steve staunton, steve mahon and bought many new players like nigel clough, jamie rednapp, paul stewart etc. he eventually resigned in 1994 when after 3 seasons, liverpool seemed to go from a good side, to an average side, cos of too many changes to the playing personnel.

zocoss SG

Sydney FC striker Alessandro Del Piero has admitted rejecting an approach from Liverpool out of respect for victims of the Heysel disaster.

Thirty-nine Juventus fans were killed before the start of the 1985 European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels – with hundreds injured – after Liverpool fans broke through a fence and caused a wall to collapse.

A 10-year-old Juve fan at the time of the tragedy, Del Piero went on to make 705 appearances and score 290 goals on his way to becoming a Nerazzurri legend.

But after 19 years with the Turin giants, 11 of those spent as captain, the former Italy international was not offered a new contract at the end of last season.

Ambitious Australian outfit Sydney FC emerged as the frontrunner for his signature but that did not dissuade Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool from making a late bid for the 37-year-old's services.

But Del Piero revealed that a move to Merseyside was never likely given the strength of feeling at his former club.

He told the Gazzetta dello Sport: “The negotiations with Sydney were already at an advanced stage and then I thought about what happened at Heysel.

“Juve and Liverpool have worked hard to mend their relationship, but for a lot of people it’s something that can never be forgotten.

“I wasn’t interested in money. I’ve won everything there is to win so another Champions League campaign would have done nothing for me.

“I came to Australia to experience something new and I want to make the most of this new adventure.

“Above all I just want to play football.”

Del Piero also took time to recall the emotions he felt in his final game for Juve, a 3-1 league victory over Atalanta at the Juventus Stadium in May.

He added: “The fans went above and beyond that day.

“No one had actually told me that I would never play for Juve again, but I knew that was the case.

“I saw the board go up with my number on it and asked myself ’Do I really have to say goodbye? Do I have to leave the stadium for the last time?’.

“I bowed to all four stands and waved to my family. I wanted to take it all in but I remembered where I was and told myself ’Ale, get off, it’s over’.

“But the fans made me come back out onto the pitch. I did two laps of honour and they threw hundreds of scarves at me, and every now and then I paused to savour the moment.

“I saw people crying. I suppose it went well, but goodbyes always leave a bitter taste in the mouth.”

zocoss SG

Centre of attention: Dempsey was courted by Liverpool in summer

Full apology: Ayre has expressed regret on Liverpool's behalf to Al Fayed

Liverpool have made a grovelling apology to Fulham over the tapping-up of Clint Dempsey in the summer.

A statement from Fulham, expected today, will confirm that in return the club have dropped their complaint to the Premier League over the affair.

The peace deal came only after a personal visit by Liverpool co-owner Tom Werner to Craven Cottage chairman Mohamed Al Fayed was followed up by a letter from Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre admitting that the club’s behaviour ‘was wrong’ and ‘simply never should have occurred’.

Fulham blame Liverpool for unsettling the player and creating the circumstances that led to his move to Tottenham on transfer-deadline day.

Ayre wrote: 'Please also consider this letter from me to be an additional expression of sincere regret and apology from our club to your club for our actions last summer. Our club can do better and we pledge that it will.'

Fulham’s official complaint followed a series of clumsy bulletins from Liverpool and their owners, the Fenway Sports Group. The first was an announcement on the FSG website that Liverpool had signed Dempsey from Fulham.

This was followed by an interview on the Liverpool website with manager Brendan Rogers, in which he talked of the USA forward in glowing terms.

Finally, pictures of Liverpool's new strip with Dempsey's name on the back were published.

The 29-year-old had been on a summer break in America when the FSG announcement was made, and Fulham’s complaint to the Premier League intimated that their relationship with the player who was last season’s top scorer had not recovered from that point.

Dempsey did not officially go on strike, but told Fulham he wanted to leave.

The club considered he was becoming a bad influence in the dressing room and he did not play a game for Fulham before signing for Tottenham.

On target: Dempsey scored in the recent defeat to Everton