Now that Clint Dempsey is back in Major League Soccer, which US National Team players should D.C. United pursue?

The news all across the American soccer twitterverse, in case you missed it, is that Clint Dempsey is leaving Tottenham Hotspur to return to Major League Soccer with the Seattle Sounders. But the mechanics of the deal is where the rest of the league should take note: it now seems that Designated Players are exempt from the allocation order for returning national team players. The reason is not yet clear why the allocation order was not used: either it is now not necessary for designated players or it might be because the Portland Timbers were unwilling to match the negotiated salary, only Seattle was.

But for the sake of argument, let us assume that designated players are now exempt from the allocation order. That would mean an open season bidding war for national team players, one upon which D.C. United should certainly get. Obviously, the player at the top of my list for one of United's designated player spots would be Herculez Gomez; Jason has already given all of the reasons why Herc would be great for the team. Other players who might be able to be tempted back to Major League Soccer could include DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, and Maurice Edu; any of those players would significantly improve United, especially Gomez.

What US National Team players would you want D.C. United to pursue for a designated player contract?

More from Black And Red United:

• D.C. United Scouting Report: Montreal Impact
• The Spirit Season of Pain Continues, And An Urgent Message to the Players of Washington
• MLS 2013 Week 22: D.C. United vs. Montreal Impact Match Center
• D.C. United vs. Montreal Impact - Preview: Behind Enemy Lines with Mount Royal Soccer
• MLS Expansion: How will a 24-team league look? Rule 1 for conference alignment must be to protect rivalries.