Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. Men's National Team Midfielder Landon Donovan finds himself at the top of this morning’s rumor pile. Metro.co.uk is reporting that Landon could opt out of returning to Everton and instead end up at Fullham. This is based mostly on comments made by Cottagers manager Mark Hughes:
↵↵↵’We are missing a Bobby Zamora type and he will not be back until the end of January or start of February if everything goes to plan.
↵So if there’s someone we can bring in to help us, we will look at it. ‘But more often than not strikers cost a lot of money at Premier League level, so we will have to see.’
AOLFanhouse reported this morning that Donovan was rumored off to Newcastle, after the British tabloid Sunday Sun reported as such. How much weight should be placed on a report from a British tabloid is up to the reader, but it should at least be noted that Landon Donovan told reporters earlier that the only loan he would consider would be a return to Everton. At Everton he would be united with American Tim Howard, while at Fulham he’d be joining American Clint Dempsey.
↵Rounding up the Landon Donovan news, MLSsoccer.com reported that Bruce Arena may push Landon back up to Forward next season. Edson Buddle was the lone goal-first player on the Galaxy last season, with his forward battery mate (which was a rotating position) being more of a feeder position. Were Arena to push Donovan up to the second forward position, it would be with the expectation of a scoring-first mentality.
↵The votes are also in for U.S. Player of the Year, and Landon Donovan is considered the runaway candidate for the honor, reports Frank Giase of the Newark Star-Ledger.