Fulham manager Martin Jol has expressed his disappointment at Clint Dempsey refusing to play for the London club in their opening game against Norwich and admitted a sale was now inevitable.
Dempsey was fined by the club after declining the opportunity to play for the club in their opening English Premier League game against Norwich, forcing Jol to leave him out of the squad.
Dempsey, the top scorer for Fulham last season with 23 goals, is waiting for a move to Liverpool to materialize.
"Clint was not involved over the last four weeks so he is not going to be in the squad," Jol told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
"He is not committed to the club. He wants to leave.
"I would like to keep him, but I think it's impossible. It's a sad and an almost embarrassing situation."
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed his interest in the player earlier this summer, after which the Massachusetts-based news channel New England Sports Network (NESN), owned by the Fenway Sports Group, who also own the Reds, mistakenly announced the capture of their fellow American.
That goof-up along with the fact that Liverpool have not yet made an official bid has infuriated Jol.
"That was very disappointing," the Dutchman said. "There was never an offer.
"Clint himself told everyone he was going to Liverpool before he came back so we really thought there was quite a firm interest in him.
"Even (Rodgers) told everyone he was interested in Clint Dempsey, but our people never had an offer on the table, so it's almost embarrassing.
"If you have shown interest in a player, especially in England, you have to follow it up with an offer. They didn't."
Jol admitted a move could still be possible, but warned any potential suitors their striker would not be sold on the cheap.
"Maybe Liverpool will come back," the former Tottenham manager said.
"I can assure you that our chairman is strong enough. At first we didn't want to get rid of him, later on we had to change our position.
"But our view is that we won't let Clint Dempsey go on the cheap, that's for sure."
Meanwhile, reported Liverpool and Tottenham target Gaston Ramirez is closing in on a surprise move to newly-promoted Southampton after the South Coast club agreed a fee with Italian club Bologna.
"It looks exciting, doesn't it," Southampton manager Nigel Adkins told reporters.
"I think he has come out in Italy and said it is already sorted, but I think you'll find the policy of the football club is until the player has signed on the dotted line and we announce it then really we try to do everything privately. We have been consistent with that over the years and we'll probably stay that way.
"If it is true, then it obviously shows the ambition of the football club. I know the chairman, Nicola Cortese, is very ambitious here and it is great.
"We were in administration a few years ago and we've come a hell of a long way in a very short space of time. To be linked with players as such -- and don't forget we broke the (club) transfer record in the summer when we signed Jay Rodriguez -- shows we're very ambitious, but likewise we'll cut our cloth accordingly.
"Having been in administration once, the last thing we'll do is end up in that situation again. The club is run very well, very prudently.
"But we're very, very ambitious and having reached the Premier League now, very quickly, we've got to give ourselves an opportunity to do well there."
