Donovan’s future could be in France -- or in Carson
Where next, Landon Donovan?
The Galaxy’s goal scorer extraordinaire -- 66 goals in 118 games since he arrived in Los Angeles in 2005 -- might be moving on.
That’s might with a capital M.
In the last week or so, Internet chat rooms, message boards and blogs have buzzed with rumors about a possible Donovan move to Paris Saint-Germain of France’s Ligue 1.
On Thursday, after Galaxy training at the Home Depot Center, Donovan, 27, was only slightly forthcoming about his future. “There’s been some interest but nothing, if anything, would happen until the end of the year,” he said, “so I’m not thinking about it.”
Donovan acknowledged that there had been nibbles from clubs other than PSG, without naming any names, although Livorno in Italy’s Serie A has asked about his availability. “It’s nice to feel wanted,” Donovan said.
The Galaxy forward’s five-year, $900,000-a-year contract expires at the end of this season, but Major League Soccer, which holds all player contracts, has two option years that it could exercise.
A Galaxy official Thursday said he expected Donovan to be back in 2010 and to sign a long-term contract.
That is just as much a possibility as Donovan again trying his luck in Europe. He already has had two unsuccessful stints in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and a three-month loan spell last winter with Bayern Munich.
It seems the Parisian club would be a viable option, but it has not won a league title since 1994, and while the French league’s style suits Donovan better than Germany’s more physical Bundesliga, a move to Spain or Italy would be an even better fit.
“I think that if he gets offered a chance to play in Europe again, I think he should take it,” Galaxy teammate David Beckham said. “But it’s down to Landon. If he’s happy playing his football here and he’s enjoying it, then maybe he shouldn’t move.”
Beckham thought Donovan would be gone for good when he headed for Munich.
“That last game at the Home Depot Center [last year], when he scored, he was waving to the fans,” Beckham said. “That was a sign, I thought, that he probably wouldn’t return, to be honest.
“But he came back after his stint at Bayern Munich and he’s playing great football here now and scoring goals. I think that if he got the chance, I’m sure he would go again.”
Beckham said Donovan has the ability to make it in Spain, Italy or England’s Premier League.
“There’s no reason why he wouldn’t succeed,” Beckham said.
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