Dempsey and Donovan

It looks like we aren't going to find out any more news about Dempsey's knee until tomorrow. As we like to say in the Navy, stand by to stand by...

It has been revealed today that Landon Donovan has hinted that he would like to stay in England longer than the current loan deal. Major League Soccer has dealt with this before with David Beckham and so they had to expect this kind of comment to be made. Everton's manager David Moyes has inserted Donovan right into the starting line up and has helped them get two great results at the Emirates and at home against Manchester City. Put yourself in his shoes for a second. Landon comes over, immediately sees playing time in the best league in the world, and more importantly, has played a role in turning around Everton's season. You can easily see why he feels pumped up at Everton. He has lived a fairy tale so far. Donovan has been known to be emotional, so the report is nothing unexpected in my eyes.

From a business prospective, the MLS was very smart to sign him up for four more years and then loan him out where he could raise his value. The longer you have a player under contract, the greater the potential transfer fee. If he can continue to shine and impress at Everton, you can bet on Everton or another club approaching the league with an offer. If Altidore went for ten million dollars, how much would Donovan go for? My best guess is that Donovan would be able to leave at a minimum fifteen million. He means a lot to the MLS and is a big part of its marketing.