Whether you want to call it simply a case of a team saying what its fans wanting to hear, or an actual case of battle lines being drawn, Landon Donovan’s very public desire to make a move to Europe could be leading Donovan and the Galaxy toward a showdown.
Donovan has stated repeatedly and very clearly in recent days and weeks that he wants to go to Europe. He feels it is time to make the move and is eager to leave this winter. Galaxy president Tim Lieweke and head coach/general manager Bruce Arena have both stated that Donovan isn’t going anywhere.
"I believe that landon Donovan is going to be playing with the LA galaxy in March," Arena said on Thursday. "The words that Tim Lieweke said on Monday are accurate.
"We’re again adamant about the fact that we’ve got to get this club headed in the right direction," Arena said. "One of the easiest ways to get that accomplished is to have two great players like beckham and donogcan on the field.
"We certainly desire, want and demand that they’re going to be playing with us in march."
While you certainly can’t blame the Galaxy for wanting to keep their best player, there is also the fact that Donovan has given the Galaxy four years and an MLS Cup title and wants to leave. Can the Galaxy really just ignore that and try to play hardball?
It might seem like Donovan doesn’t have much of a say since his contract has multiple league options, but he certainly can let his unhappiness be known and could start making things difficult? How? Take the U.S. national team for example. Next summer the U.S. team will play in two tournaments, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Confederations Cup. Donovan could choose to play in both, as well as in any other FIFA calendar date friendly, rather than asking to be left off of national team rosters to play for the Galaxy, which he has done in the past.
Something else to consider is what a battle over Donovan wanting to leave could do to the league’s image among American soccer players. Are top Americans really going to lock themselves in to long term contracts knowing that they will have no say in future tranfer possibilities? Will MLS consider this and consult with the Galaxy?
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Donovan transfer situation is the possibility that the Galaxy might have no other choice but to sell him. If MLS doesn’t increase the salary cap by a considerable amount, and doesn’t grant a second designated player slot per team, the Galaxy might find itself without much room to improve the team. LA might have to seriously consider how a Donovan transfer might allow the Galaxy to strengthen the squad in other areas.
It is obvious that Arena and the Galaxy are hoping that the league changes its rules heading into the 2009 season for a variety of reasons, but especially because it would allow the team to keep Donovan.
Will things get ugly? It’s tough to imagine Donovan going too overboard. He has already tempered his statements with the disclaimer that he will have no problem playing for the Galaxy of no transfer deals materialize, but you have to wonder how long it would be before his patience would run out.
What is my take? I’ve always been a proponent of the belief that a player should be allowed to leave if he wants to leave. Selling Donovan and building the team around Beckham might not be the worst strategy in the world, and a potential transfer for Donovan could help fund the rebuilding of an LA roster that needs a massive overhaul.
What do you think of the Donovan transfer situation? Think the Galaxy will grant his wish? Do you see LA playing hardball? Do you think Donovan deserves the chance to leave?
Share your thoughts below.
As much as i would want Donovan to go overseas, if the Galaxy dont want him to, then case closed and the Galaxy should not lose rep over this. I mean seriously, does a contract not MEAN ANYTHING to anyone anymore!?!?! If someone makes a promise on paper to play for you, you would expect them to…….its that simple!! A promise is a promise and if someone wants to break it, i do not know how that is allowable and better yet the other one is looked down upon for not allowing the other to break it! C. Ronaldo has no values and is not a man of his word so i would expect him to act like he did against manchester united but i would lose all respect for Donovan if he reacted in the same manner.
Let Donovan be FREE. LA LIGA or PL
The Gold Cup is next year? I thought the next was scheduled for 2011?
Donovan should go, and will. Beckham’s already on his way, and I’d put even money on the Galaxy being two stars emptier next spring.
I’m pretty sure LD could leave on a Webster and the Gals and MLS would have nothing to say about it. They should do what he wants and sell him before he exercises that option and sets a dangerous precedent.
Seriously, DJ, I agree. Altidore is a maybe. Donovan is a known commodity. Sure, Jozy has potential to be something special. He also has the possibility of becoming Eddie Johnson. It is not even an unlikely result for JA’s career, he’s still relatively unskilled and is no more than a prospect. LD is worth more.
While I think it’s good PR to not have a transfer fight with LD over this, if it came to that, I’d side with the team and league. LD DID sign a contract. If he got hurt or scored 3 goals all season, LA would keep paying him. The team and league are held to their end of the contract, why not the players?
After the World Cup, didn’t Arena say that US players need to go over seas to become better players for the national team?
And now that he’s in charge of a club team, he wants to prevent this from happening??
Donovan wants out. He hates Leiweke (then again, who doesn’t?). He hates the circus that the Galaxy has become. He may resepct Arena but the atmosphere of intimidation that AEG fosters (not only on the field but among the sales staff) is stifling. He will fight like Hell to go to Europe. I, for one, hope he wins. Leiweke can go perform a physical impossibility upon himself.
Why doesn’t Donovan, aka “The Golden Boy” as me and my friends call him, get a better price than Altidore? He is a much more proven goal scoring in the MLS and international. he is faster than Altidore which is always a plus. Plus we have recently seen The Golden Boy display that undefined “competitors fire” in tough games. He is a better leader and much more confident to face the challenges than a younger prospect like Altidore. He has to have a higher asking price. It’s business baby.
And I missed DJ’s comment,but there is nooooo way Landycakes gets a transfer fee higher than Altidore. Zip. Nada. Zero.
Has there even been any talk of a team that are interested in him? And Munich doesn’t count….thats been pure speculation by bloggers and BS posters, not actual talk from the team. Name me one team that has expressed actual interest in aquiring the services of Landon Donovan.
Bottom line…it serves more purpose to sell donovan, and make more money to put forward to getting better overall players than spending all your money on 2 players who basically want to leave and go to europe..
The galaxy needs to get its head out of its butt. sell donovan, buy some good players (goalie maybe?), and give beckham a chance to distribute around. otherwise…beckham will just screw the galaxy and the mls by forcing his way to the bench in the san siro.
He is as good as gone. Why because the MLS will not be able to turn down the transfer fee for him. It is still and always be a professional sports league run by business men who want a return on their investment. I believe the real question is what will that fee be. If Altidore had a $10 million price without having the success of Donovan then what’s Donovan’s fee. I believe it is in the $12.5 to $15 million range and no way the business suits turn that down.
It is certainly time for Landon to head back to Europe. As a galaxy season ticket holder it’ll be sad to not have him on the squad, but I agree that freeing up that money will give the team the best opportunity to restock with players.
Having said that, Landon has always made his own decisions (like returning to the MLS) for his own reasons and it wouldn’t surprise me if he stayed. What no one has mentioned above is that his wife is shooting a tv show here in Los Angeles. They may not be interested in having a long distance relationship.
If I were the Galaxy, I would not let him go, as a business and team decision . . . UNLESS I could figure out a more feasible scenario. You don’t just replace Donovan easily. And if the DP is changed to not count against the cap, they can grow their on field success.
Am I excited about him going overseas, personally? Sure! Would love to see what he can do.
I think they will probably let him go, but if they don’t he got himself into this mess. If he had sucked it up in Germany he would probably be playing in Spain or England by now. When he came back he should have made sure that his contract was structured in a way that allowed him to move when he was ready.
The fact that LA cannot keep him next year absent either a new DP or yet another extention, i would think its in LA’s best interest on and off the field to sell him for a fat fee, keep the allocation money and start building a SOLID and deep side that compete and win in MLS.
That would make sense to me, not forcing him to stay and sucking up more top end salary in the cap while not addressing the very shortcomings they have as a unit.
This is an easy call, they can say this and posture for better transefer fees..in fact that is what they must be doing here.
danny:
I watched the Gunners – Hammers game and thought, “Gee, you know who the Hammers need…?” He’d be perfect there, meeting an immediate needs with just the right tools.
I doubt they let him go. They will overvalue him and interested teams won’t be willing to pay the price. His value to MLS is way higher than it is anywhere else. I hope I’m wrong because I’d love to see him back in Europe.
I find it hard to believe that Bruce Arena wouldn’t be sympathetic to Landon’s wishes. Bruce knows the importance of national team guys making an impact in Europe, and he also knows what he can do with the transfer money. Besides, the last thing Arena needs is transfer drama in his first full year of trying to rebuild a team that is absolutely wrecked with drama. If LA tries to block Donovan from leaving, it’ll only prove that the Galaxy’s primary goal is to be a circus.
The league is just positioning itself to maximize Donovan’s transfer fee. If LD really wants to go, they’ve got little choice but to sell him. They have no cap room, they only have 1 DP spot, and they have to find a new keeper, centerback, right back, holding mid, striker, and attacking mid once LD leaves. Sell him and rebuild.
let him go. he’ll be back in 6-12 months after it is declared he “didn’t adapt” or “didn’t find the right fit”, though SJ the most likely destination.
They need to reciprocate and let him go. There’s no other player in the history of MLS who has done so much for this league and delivering. He was the face of the league at one point. They keep him for another year, his contract is up and they lose him on a free transfer, although MLS seems to be good at leaving cash on the table. MLS, although isn’t under obligation to support the National Teams, it’s very existence is due in large part to our National Team and an agreement the USSF made with FIFA prior to hosting the 1994 World Cup. The agreement was that we’d have a domestic league in the USA. Alebit two years after the fact, MLS was alive and kicking and has been growing ever since. The league has also produced quite a few good players, so letting Donovan go might be a great way for this league to continue gorwing and showcasing new talent.
I hope like hell they let him go otherwise they’re truly hurting his development as a player. He definitely can play in any league throughout the world.
I third Michael F’s question. Who is making the decision here – the Galaxy (Lieweke/Arena) or MLS? I thought MLS owned the contract, not the Galaxy. What if the Galaxy want him to stay but MLS is willing to let him go?
@CAZcutlan:
Sammy is referring to the selling point MLS made in 1996 that one of the main reasons to have a domestic league was to feed the U.S. Mens National Team, so it is a salient point. And all MLS clubs, as franchises of MLS, have working relationships with the U.S. MNT. Not saying they shouldn’t try and protect their own interests, but don’t act like it won’t come up in negotiations.
When Landon was in Egypt’s land… let my Landon go!
Oh, and it was mentioned again during last night’s ESPN broadcast: Donovan has 1 year left on his contract and 2 option years.
They should let him go, he’s done his time. There is nothing more for him to accomplish here and if he goes and is successful, it will help MLS in the long run: he was developed in MLS, became a star, goes over to europe and has a successful career. It would show that MLS, though still a young growing league, can develop players who can step into a decent team in europe and be successful. It would give more incentive to young players that they can indeed stay here, play and develop, rather than sit on a bench and rot in europe.
I think it’s posturing by the Galaxy and Arena. In the end, for the right price, they’ll let him go.
Let him go, and get the few bucks he’s worth from whatever 3rd rate club will have him.
I think the main issue may be his contract. If he would still be under contract, then LA may demand a high transfer fee, and righfully so, as he is one of their best commodities.
Having said that, I think in the end he will land in Europe, but whatever team gets him may end up spending a little more than they would have liked.
It’s all about posturing. Like it or not, our managers and owners merely sound like Euro managers and owners when talking about their assets.
It would do no good from a negotiation standpoint for the Gals or MLS to openly say they’d love to allow LD to leavel; we respect his wishes.
Suiters have to believe that they will have to spend oodles to pry LD from MLS.
I think it’s that simple.
Tony…i posted that very statement on kumb.com! he is PERFECT for zolas system
I hope that the Galaxy will let him go, but then again look what happened to Twellman. The Revolution by not letting Twellman go pretty much ruined his career. (And the revolution have not really needed him anyways)I think it is never a good idea to try and make someone do something they don’t really want to do, as ultimately that resentfull energy will have it’s negative effect.
Send him overseas, just not to Germany or Italy… Spain would be best for him.
Let him go and fulfill his dreams- LA sucks anyhow- even with him, so what’s the difference. Holding a player back is wrong on so many levels
Could this actually be a legal issue? MLS has the right to block Donovan from playing on any other team in MLS/America, but can the contract actually hold up by keeping him from playing in another country that has different labor laws? FIFA may say it does, but if the Bosman Ruling was able to be won, I’d bet this has a chance to also.
Somebody around the world is going to eventually challange the notion, in court, of being tied to their contracts if they want to leave (When I need a change of venue, I can leave my office by outright quitting/resigning – I may burn a bridge, but I cannot be held at my workplace). I doubt Donovan would push that since he has a wholesome image to maintain as the US Soccer Poster-child, but somebody will eventually.
Hate to see him go, but you cant have two primadonna’s on your team. Either it is Beckman’s team or Donnovan’s team. Let him go and build around Beck, get a better D.
Uh oh … She will be throwing her toys out of the pram …
Ives,
If you could answer the question posted by michael f. above that would be really helpful. Otherwise everything anyone posts is just uninformed conjecture.
To repeat:
“How much of this decision is up to the Galaxy and how much up to the league?”
Thank you.
Sammy Nishi, you are way off. MLS has no obligation to help the national team. MLS is not the developmental arm of the national team. Clubs are independent of the national team. They will do what’s in their best interest. In this case, I think it would be in their interest to sell Landon.
It would be shocking if MLS doesn’t allow Landon to leave.
Let him go. Seriously. It’s better for MLS, It’s better for LA. It’s better for Landon. It’s even better for TV ratings of Europe games if he goes abroad.
THE MNT HAS TO BE THE PRIORITY!
And, the MLS is it’s developmental arm .. .. That’s why we have a league .. ..
If the US is ever to sneak into a WC Semi’s, LADNON has to leave for Europe now to reap the maximum benefit from his leaving .. ..
MLS should definitely get the most it can from any transfer, but should NOT price Landon over a decent amount (say $10-12.5M) .. ..
In fact we should perhaps ‘undervalue’ LANDON a bit so he ends up on a side that is best for him & US MNT and to create a line of bidders to choose from .. ..
LA has been lucky to have him for as long as we did and everyone wins if he leaves – for the price we all want!!
Danny:
But West Ham needs him now!
When is his contract up? After the 2009 season?
As a fan of the USMNT, I really hope they let him go. If Landon goes to Europe and succeeds, it’s good for all of US Soccer.
Ives,
How much of this decision is up to the Galaxy and how much up to the league. I was always under the impression it was the league who decided, oftentimes without the approval of the team. Thanks.
I love how LA is waiting this offseason to see if MLS will change the rules to benefit them…again
How many league options does his contract have? How many more years (if he stayed) would L.A. have two DP players without having two DP slots?
Even the Red Bulls are only allowed to keep their second DP slot for three seasons. L.A.–if Donovan stayed–would be on pace to have his DP salary grandfathered along for LONGER THAN A TEAM IS ALLOWED TO KEEP A SECOND DP SLOT!
CRAP!!!!!!!!
No one has done more for MLS as a player than Donovan. He has been the poster boy for American players in the league a long time and has been the key figure in the MLS Cups, several all star games, and in several of the greatest games in league history (San Jose’s comeback over LA, La vs Red Bulls, etc.)
Standing in his way would be pathetic and wrong. Yes, a club must protect its interests. But there are times when a club and the league need to acknowledge services rendered and grant the player his wish.
I think they will let him go for the reasons you stated above:
1) Has played 4 years and got them a title
2) Free up some money and get allocations
3) What other young American players will think. Even though look at Twellman and to an extent Cooper…