US midfielder’s MLS contract expires at the end of December.
A source close to Landon Donovan has said that the LA Galaxy and USA midfielder could consider leaving MLS when his contract expires at the end of December, according to Goal.com.
It has been revealed that the 31 year-old has received serious interest from certain European clubs, and is evaluating his options.
He has shown he can make the transition to European football, having had spells with Bayern Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Everton, and has reached every milestone a player could wish for in the MLS, winning the MLS Cup three times with LA Galaxy and twice with the San Jose Earthquakes, as well as the MLS Supporters shield twice and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup once with Galaxy.
Individually he has won the US Soccer Athlete of the year four times, the Honda Player of the Year seven times, the Major League Soccer MVP once, the MLS Cup MVP twice, the MLS Golden boot once, and was named in the MLS All-Time Best XI. He is also the United States all-time leading goal scorer and all-time assist leader and has been selected for the MLS All-Stars a for a consecutive 13 seasons, another record.
MLS has shown a recent focus to recruit American stars back to the league, as seen with the arrival of Clint Dempsey, so there is still a possibility that Dempsey could re-sign with Los Angeles. He is 31 years old and MLS are more likely to sign him up on a lengthy contract than any other suitors from abroad, especially Europe.
However, despite Donovan’s stellar form in Gold Cup where he scored five goals and made six assists in six games, he has not been prolific for Galaxy, notching three goals in 13 appearances.
He will understandably want a contract similar to Dempsey’s at the Sounders and also contemplated retirement just last year, so the Galaxy may be reluctant to give Donovan a lucrative long-term commitment, which may cause him to look abroad.
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