What's Next for Clint Dempsey? - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Now that Fulham appears doomed to relegation, it's time to start asking where Clint Dempsey will be playing next season.

Clearly, it won't be at Craven Cottage. For whatever reason, Dempsey has fallen out of favor with new manager Roy Hodgson, who hasn't given the American forward a spot in the starting lineup for the last three weeks, including last Saturday's 2-2 draw against Derby County. Hodgson seems to be dwelling on the fact that Deuce hasn't scored since Boxing Day -- completely ignoring that he's still Fulham's leading scorer on the season with 6 goals. (Jake Delhomme can relate.)

Then again, maybe Fulham is just keeping the former New England Revolution star on ice until the summer transfer window, where he could fetch a cool £3 million to £4 million from another club looking to boost its front line. Where might Dempsey land next season? Let's examine some potential spots, after the jump.

1.) Reading. With six points between themselves and 18th place Bolton, the Royals seem capable of survival. Still, they lack offense, having scored only 37 goals in 32 matches. Reading pursued Jozy Altidore last January and offered him instant playing time next to Dave Kitson. Dempsey would be just as much of an upgrade over the likes of Leroy Lita, whose loan at Charlton may become permanent, and Shane Long.

2.) Wigan. Steve Bruce has plenty of strikers, but Emily Heskey and Marlon King tend to get hurt a lot, which might be one reason why Wigan averages less than a goal per match. Dempsey is versatile enough that Bruce could play him on the wing until the inevitable injuries allow Deuce to start up front.

3.) Manchester City. Make no mistake -- Sven-Goran Eriksson needs strikers. His side has scored as many goals as Reading, and their most recent acquisition, Benjani, has only one goal in his last seven starts and seems ill-suited as a lone striker up front. Putting Dempsey up front with Benjani would give Elano and Martin Petrov another target for their accurate crosses. It's unlikely, however, that Man City would pursue Dempsey, as Sven wants a big-name striker. Man City is rumored to be preparing a £32 million offer for Dimitar Berbatov.

4.) Tottenham Hotspur. Hey, they need someone up front if Berbatov splits town, right?

5.) Stoke City. This seems even less likely, given that the Potters have yet to secure promotion from the Coca-Cola Championship this season -- they're currently in second place -- and they already have two high-scoring strikers in Ricardo Fuller and Richard Cresswell. However, the club's owner is also launching a USL club in 2009 in Austin, and Texas just happens to be Dempsey's home state. Having a U.S. national with Premier League experience in the lineup could help Stoke build its American presence -- if they win promotion first, of course.

6.) Bristol City. The current Coca-Cola Championship leaders are tall on wins but short on goals, so if they manage to win promotion, they will look to upgrade their front line. Dempsey probably doesn't want to go here, though. If Bristol City gets promoted, it will become the odds-on favorite to be next year's Derby County.

7.) Spain. It's possible that Dempsey might not stay in England. There are plenty of clubs throughout Europe that could use some help up front. Maybe the more technical style of La Liga would suit Dempsey's skills better than the rough-and-tumble Premier League. Deuce speaks a little Spanish, too, so that helps.

8.) Scotland. There are only two real options here -- Celtic and Rangers -- and they both have enough scoring punch to play the Scottish Premier League. They're not afraid to pursue Americans, though. Rangers signed DaMarcus Beasley last summer, and Celtic chased after Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan last January. Could one of them find a spot for Dempsey and give him some Champions League experience?

9.) MLS. Wait, no, that's where Carlos Bocanegra will probably end up. Deuce isn't leaving Europe just yet.