Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Gunners Must Shift from Jan Vertonghen to Clint Dempsey

On to the next one.

Arsenal aren't going to be able to reel in the big catch they’ve been fishing for in Jan Vertonghen, but that doesn’t mean they should pack up the worms and call it an offseason. They must simply shift their focus to an even bigger catch: Clint Dempsey.

According to Fox Sports, Tottenham made it a priority to bait Vertonghen away from the Gunners and are well on their way to accomplishing that goal. While no deal is official, Tom Collomosse of the London Evening Standard reported that if Vertonghen were to say sayonara to Ajax for an English ballclub, Tottenham are the only team that he’s willing to join.

No big deal.

If the Gunners were to pull off the addition of Dempsey, it’d instantly make them forget about their loss of Vertonghen. And according to Barry Glendenning of The Guardian, Arsenal are indeed interested in the 29-year-old Team USA star.

Dempsey has played for Fulham since 2007, but the Gunners should have no problem attracting the elite goal scorer. According to Brian Straus of SportingNews, he said before the season started:

"

If one day I get the opportunity to play for a big club, in the Champions League, that'll be great. I'd lie if I said that wasn't a dream. At the same time, you have to make the most of where you are—it's not always greener grass on the other side.

"

There aren’t many football players with a better combination of talent and toughness than Dempsey. That extra element of passion that he’d bring to the Gunners would be invaluable.

I wouldn’t expect Arsenal to allow two stars to slip out of their grasp.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels