• Goodison officials accept MLS club’s wish for return
• Player hopeful game-by-game deal can be agreed
Landon Donovan’s loan spell at Goodison Park appears certain to end as scheduled this weekend, despite requests from Everton to LA Galaxy that he be allowed to stay on Merseyside for an extra month.
The USA captain, who has had an impressive 10-week spell at Goodison Park, had said that he might stay in the Premier League after this Saturday’s match at Birmingham City. Everton officials and the 28-year-old raised the subject with LA Galaxy prior to Sunday’s match at home to Hull City, a 5-1 win in which Donovan scored one goal and created another. But the Galaxy want to keep to the deal’s agreed 15 March deadline, even if the Major League Soccer season is delayed by a labour dispute.
There is a growing acceptance at Goodison that Donovan will return to the US after the Birmingham game. Everton are keen to retain a cordial relationship with LA Galaxy and while there may be an attempt to sign Donovan in the summer, another loan deal next season is more likely for a player who signed a four-year extension in December.
Donovan, however, hopes to prolong his Everton career, with a game-by-game option a possibility in the weeks before the Galaxy begin their MLS season against New England Revolution on 27 March.
Donovan, who has been named as the MLS’s Most Valuable Player in the past two seasons, said: “I have told the Galaxy what I want, they know what’s going on and I speak to my manager [Bruce Arena] there fairly often and at this point it is an Everton and LA Galaxy conversation.
“Both clubs know how I feel, which is that I would like to stay, though I can’t end the season here, I’d have to go back 15 April at the latest. If that can be worked
