Landon Donovan is the proud owner of a new four year contract with the LA Galaxy, a deal that will keep him at the club through 2013. The announcement came today during a press conference at the ESPN Zone in Los Angeles, though it was not accompanied by the expected confirmation that Donovan will head to Everton on loan starting in January.
Bruce Arena did drop Everton's name once or twice as a possible loan destination for Donovan, though, while explaining that his star's new contract allows for such loans. Arena also established the length of the loan at ten weeks.
The new contract is guaranteed for the four years, with a base salary of $2.05 million per year, and an additional $200,000 annually coming through marketing and bonuses. Keep in mind that as far as we know, the exception given to the Galaxy for Donovan when the DP rule was instituted still applies.
So what does it all mean? Has Donovan forsaken his Euro ambitions for the comfy confines of the Home Depot Center and a fatter paycheck?
Well, maybe, but this new deal doesn't preclude a foreign club from swooping in and snagging Donovan if he wows at Everton and then the World Cup. Contracts are made to be broken after all, and even if Donovan's deal doesn't include a rumored buyout clause that might allow him to get away from MLS without the hassle of fee negotiations, he might still be in Europe permanently before 2010 is out.
Remember that Donovan's previous contract contained two single year team/league options; regardless of whether or not Donovan signed a new deal with the league or stuck with the old, Major League Soccer would still hold his fate in their hands through 2011.
The two extra years on this new contract might seem a little odd if Donovan really does harbor a desire to finally make it in Europe; but again, all is not as it seems. If Donovan is going to make himself attractive enough for a foreign club to buy him, it's likely to happen in 2010; the World Cup is his showcase, and his future may very well be decided by his performance in that tournament. Play well, and a club may offer MLS enough to convince them to sell; play poorly, and he remains at home in MLS, where he's both comfortable and a star. The contract increases his salary while giving him security through 2013 without eliminating the possibility that he won't be around to see it expire.
Incredibly smart, if you ask me.
While we're here, let's have a brief interlude so that I can talk about furniture.
No, no, don't stop reading; this is worth it, trust me.
In my home, I have a TV cabinet. It's made of wood, stained a dark, rich tone, and holds a terribly passe CRT television that the wife and I sometimes watch in the bedroom. It's a nice piece of furniture in my modest house, and adds just a touch of class to a space that might otherwise be without. In a nicer environment, one with a higher standard of decor, it would absolutely look out of place; I have no illusions about the quality of the cabinet beyond a stark assessment. It's made for a tube television, which means that it's usefulness is rapidly coming to an end. The only reason it's not sitting empty in a spare room is because I can't afford another modern TV.
Neither is it in perfect working order. The drawer slides open of its own accord on occasion, and the doors have long since gone wonky. Still, it's a solid piece of furniture, and I happen to like it a lot. In fact, part of the reason I like it so much is very personal; my father, someone I happen to have a solid relationship with (amazing, I know) made it himself a few years back. He's a pretty handy guy, and the cabinet came out wonderfully considering that he's by no means a professional cabinet maker. Because of that, though it's not particularly old, it is in some ways a family heirloom. It not only serves a purpose and looks rather nice for the skillfulness of its maker and the relative inexpensiveness of its materials, it has sentimental value.
Now, if someone was to offer to buy the cabinet from me, I'd have a difficult decision to make. Everything has a price, so I'd be lying if I said I would never sell it, but I'm fairly certain my valuation of it would be drastically different than that of anyone who would actually want it. We're talking a one hundred, two hundred, maybe even three hundred percent markup on what the thing is truly worth; if someone is going to take from me an item I'm attached to, they're going to have to pay a premium. It doesn't matter to me that no one else would find it as valuable; I'm more than happy to hold on to it if no one is willing to pay my admittedly exorbitant price.
Does that make me crazy? Would my asking price be a "joke"? Maybe, and I'm sure you could label it as such just based on my ridiculous attachment to something that is essentially just another piece of furniture in house filled with it. But I would feel no guilt, or be concerned otherwise, with how others viewed me. It's my cabinet, it means more to me than you, and I'm sorry if you want it at the same price as an equivalent piece; it's just not going to happen. There are other factors involved besides what the market says my cabinet is worth.
Sorry for that interlude. Where were we? Ah, yes. Donovan.
Donovan will have two chances to prove his class in 2010. The expected Everton loan is the first, and will go a long way towards determining if he has a larger future in Europe, or if he is destined to play out his days in the second-rate MLS. The World Cup is obviously the other, though his performance in the EPL will mean more simply because it will be a direct representation of his long term potential in a club environment. If Everton goes badly, and it very well could, it won't really matter what he does in South Africa. Back to MLS he'll come.
Which is fine, really. You and I may be disappointed if Donovan never breaks through overseas, but ultimately it's his life to live as he chooses. If he's willing to put in the work, plays well enough, and still has the ability to go if the price offered is right, than this new contract does him no harm. Besides, and I'm simply speculating here, it's possible that Donovan's new agreement allows him a modicum of control over any transfer that might come along. Anything is possible, and I wonder if Donovan only agreed to sign the new deal if the league promised to sell him if a minimum amount they would want to justify letting their premier American player go was met. Call it a Donovan Reserve.
It doesn't really matter. If Donovan wants to end up in Europe, he still can; it's just on him to make it happen. This contract does nothing but secure his future if he's unable to prove himself worthy of a bigger stage.
