Clint Dempsey has missed Fulham’s pre-season training camp in Switzerland due to a lack of match fitness, the club said Wednesday, as speculation grew that he could be joining Liverpool.
Club spokeswoman Katie Holmes told The Associated Press that the U.S. international had stayed in London “to work on his fitness” with the youth team.
Holmes would not comment on British media reports linking the attacking midfielder with American-owned Liverpool. Along with the 18-time English champions, the Fenway Sports Group also owns baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
Liverpool has recently concluded a pre-season tour of North America but was embarrassed by an error on the Fenway Sports website at the start of the trip, where a caption for a video read that Dempsey had signed for the club.
The caption was later corrected after Fulham denied any contact had been made between the clubs.
Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers confirmed earlier his month there was interest from his club.
“Clint is a player that we have enquired about, it is as simple as that,” Rodgers said. “Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club just to see what the position is and that is where it is at. He is obviously a very talented player but we don’t like to speak about other clubs’ players.”
Dempsey scored 23 goals in 46 games for the London-based team last season, making the 29-year-old attacking midfielder his club’s top scorer.
He joined Fulham in 2007 and is the highest scoring American in the Premier League with 50 goals.
Fulham’s new Premier League campaign begins on Aug. 18 at home to Norwich.