from the LA Times:
Forward Landon Donovan, Major League Soccer’s reigning MVP after leading the L.A. Galaxy to last month’s championship game, has agreed to a four-year extension that will keep him in Los Angeles through 2013.
Financial terms of the deal were not announced, but Donovan confirmed today that the new contract calls for a significant raise from the $900,000 base salary he earned last season.
Donovan, has also agreed in principle to spend the first 10 weeks of 2010 playing with Everton of the English Premier League.
“We think that will be a great opportunity for Landon,” said Galaxy General Manager and Coach Bruce Arena. “And the agreement, there will be some stipulations.”
Although terms of that deal have been worked out, according to a source who is not authorized to speak on the matter, some paperwork details are still being reviewed. The loan could be announced as early as today.
Donovan, the U.S. national team’s all-time leader in goals and assists, will join goalie Tim Howard, his World Cup teammate, with Everton.
This will be Donovan’s fourth try at European soccer. As a 16-year-old he signed a six-year deal with Bayern Leverkusen in Germany but didn’t play a game before returning to the U.S. in 2001. He rejoined Leverkusen four years later and started twice before coming again to join the Galaxy. And this year he made five Bundesliga appearances and played in one German Cup match while on loan to Bayern Munich.
He will join his English team Jan. 2 and will return to the Galaxy in mid-March. The Galaxy opens defense of its Western Conference title on March 27 against the New England Revolution at the Home Depot Center.
why does no one over seas want him? guess they arent willing to pay him that much?
It’s a shame our best ever field player doesn’t have the balls to go to Europe and earn his place among the best in the world. I hope there is 10 year old out there in the US looking at LD’s mistakes and has the mindset that he could go to Europe and be just as good as the best in the world. Cheers to LD the best MLS player ever!
Ives said that he is willing to bet the contract has an out clause, where he can buy out his contract if he has a good offer. I pray to god Ives suspicion is right or I lose all respect for LD. Props for helping build US Soccer, but if he wants to really build US soccer, take your game and our national team to the next level and go abroad!
The Buy-Out clause is great if True. It will be interesting to see how it works out. It’s just a sad case of what could’ve been if he applied himself to finding the perfect fit in Europe when he was young like right after the 02 cup, I think he could’ve been a much better player than what he is today.