The Official Site of Landon Donovan

Wed, Feb 25th 2009, 09:51

Donovan has chance to prove worth

When Landon Donovan left the Galaxy on a short-term loan, the chances of a return seemed unlikely.

Donovan was open about his desire to return to Europe and insisted that he was much more prepared both mentally and physically to deal with the rigors of European soccer than he had been the first time around.

Then, Donovan landed with Bayern Munich, a club with deep pockets whose coach has long been an admirer of the Galaxy superstar. Donovan’s Galaxy days appeared numbered.

Now, though, his return seems imminent. In a loan deal that is set to end March 8, Bayern Munich official Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said his club is more interested in investing in the future and prefers to push forward with the three high-priced, big-name strikers the club has in tow already.

Coupled with Major League Soccer’s insistence on a relatively high transfer fee, reports have put the figure in excess of $10 million, Bayern Munich may return Donovan in early March, as was the plan from the start.

“Donovan is an interesting player,” Rummenigge told Munich newspaper TZ. “But when you have (Miroslav) Klose, (Luca) Toni and (Ivica) Olic already under contract, we think the fourth (forward) should really be a young player with perspective.”

Still, Donovan’s opportunity may not be over quite yet. Toni is unintentionally helping Donovan’s cause. The Italian forward went down with an injury a week ago and was unable to play Saturday. Bayern manager Jurgen Klinsmann gave Lukas Podolski, a favorite of the front office, the nod at forward alongside Klose on Saturday. However, Bayern lost in embarrassing fashion to middle-of-the-pack Koln. Podolski, who is on loan through the end of the season, was a non-factor.

Today, Bayern Munich will play Sporting Lisbon in a Champions League match. It will be one of four more games Bayern will play over the next 11 days, the final stretch in Donovan’s loan agreement.

Should Donovan start either today’s match or Saturday’s league tilt against Werder Bremen, he has the chance to impress the front office and give Klinsmann fodder to use as an argument to keep the Redlands native around.

Bayern sits in fourth place in the German Bundesliga, four points back from leader Hamburg.

Donovan, 26, has accomplished all he can in MLS. He’s won MLS Cups. He’s won individual awards. He’s won a U.S. Open Cup. He’s led the league in goals. He’s been there. He’s done that.

MLS can provide few challenges save for one unfortunate obstacle. If the league overvalues Donovan, the price tag might scare off a club with Bayern Munich’s wealth and stature. On the world transfer market, $10 million is a sizable investment. While that won’t break Bayern’s bank, it may be enough for the club to consider other options.

Continue reading….