Dempsey Does It Again - NYTimes.com Chelsea may be heading to the first leg in the semifinals of the Champions League next week, but Fulham's American international Clint Dempsey is certainly headed for a prodigious payday sometime soon, real soon. On Monday, Dempsey scored his 16th goal of the Premier League season as Fulham scrambled to a 1-1 draw with West London rival Chelsea. Chelsea will host Barcelona on April 18 in the opening game of their home-and-home, total-goals semifinal series. Bayern Munich faces Real Madrid in the other semifinal, which opens on April 17. Dempsey will be watching the Champions League from his couch this year, but the man Fulham Coach Martin Jol has called indispensable is playing out his contract at Craven Cottage and could command big dollars on the open market. The objective, it is believed, is for Dempsey to land on a team rich enough and good enough to play in next season's Champions League. Dempsey has 21 goals this season in all competitions for Fulham and told The Associated Press on Monday that he was in discussions with Fulham about a new deal but that "we will have to see what happens in the summer." Chelsea took a 1-0 lead in Monday's game when Frank Lampard converted a disputed penalty kick just before the stroke of halftime. Dempsey had a strong game throughout, playing nice combinations with the 18-year-old Swiss midfielder Kerim Frei in the middle of the field and Damien Duff out wide. With time running out in the rain at Craven Cottage, Dempsey headed home a Fulham corner kick, nodding the ball inside the far post and past goalkeeper Petr Cech. Fulham is financially capable of paying Dempsey what he desires - the club is owned by the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed al Fayed, who also owns Harrods. Obligatory mention: It was Fayed's son, Dodie, who died in a Paris car accident with Diana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997. Monday's draw leaves Fulham in ninth place, tied with Liverpool with 43 points but trailing on goal differential. Chelsea remains in sixth place. What should Dempsey do? Re-sign with Fulham or bide his time and wait for the offers to roll in? And where do you think might be the best place for the Texan to land? Stay in England? Go to Germany or Italy, perhaps? Please leave your comments below.