Despite the consistent rumours concerning Clint Dempsey's imminent Fulham departure to Brendan Rodger's Liverpool, it now seems our American star won't be moving north after all.

The transfer appeared, at various points, to be certain, not least when Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group, released a statement welcoming Dempsey to the club. However, this was a momentary, and very costly, lapse in concentration which didn't impress the Fulham hierarchy who, themselves, are sticking firmly by an asking price that is thought to just reach double figures.

Rodgers is unwilling to go that high for a player who, this time next year, will be 30 and also out of contract. Talks, therefore, have been long, tough, and ultimately unsuccessful which has opened the door to rival bids - one of which has come from Italy in the form of Roma.

Having sold Fabio Borini to Liverpool, Roma have a spare £12 million lying around and are keen to tempt Fulham, and Dempsey, with a bid closer to Fulham's valuation of around £10 million.

Martin Jol has a preference for the Italian offer, not only because it will be bigger than what Liverpool are prepared to put on the table, but because the sale is unlikely to come back and haunt Fulham in the coming Premier League campaign.

Liverpool are likely to still keep their interest in Dempsey high, especially as Rodgers has publicly admitted his admiration for him, and may even be prepared to up their bid, but, as it stands, they're taking a back seat in negotiations.