Tottenham to Activate First Option Clause to Re-sign Midfielder in January - Report

Tottenham Hotspur will seek to activate a clause in Clint Dempsey's contract in order to re-sign the American international on a two-month loan deal in the January transfer window, The Mirror reports.

The 30 year old joined Seattle Sounders from Spurs in the summer after just one season at White Hart Lane in which he struggled to make a significant impact.

The Major League Soccer regular season ended on 27 October with the national final taking place on 7 December. Seattle were knocked out in the Western Conference play-offs after a 5-4 aggregate defeat to Portland Timbers.

Dempsey will therefore be available in the New Year prior to pre-season training and could mirror similar deals completed by Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane, who have both spent temporary loan spells in the Premier League during the off-season.

Having netted just nine goals in 11 league matches, Tottenham are desperate for additional attacking resources and with Dempsey only able to join on a low-risk two-month basis, the deal is likely to be tempting.

When parting with the United States captain, Tottenham are understood to have inserted a clause in Dempsey's contract which stated they would have first refusal on any deal to bring him back to English shores.

Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer said: "Clint's contract allows him to go on loan for the off-season. All parties are working on a deal and we won't be surprised if it happens."

Former club Fulham, Aston Villa and Everton are among the clubs also interested in Dempsey's services. In 268 games in English football, Dempsey netted 72 goals and was among the most potent midfielders in the division before moving back to the MLS.

Dempsey's departure from Tottenham came after the club secured a deal to sign Roberto Soldado from Valencia.

Upon moving to the Sounders, majority owner Joe Roth said: "Clint is a world-class soccer player who can take this club to a higher level. We have been consistent in our message to the fans that we will spare no expense to win trophies."

In his debut season for Seattle, Dempsey played seven matches to help the club qualify for the MLS play-offs after finishing fourth in the Western Conference.