Should He Stay or Should He Go: Landon Donovan to Manchester City?

If you’re following club transfer rumors, this one hits close to home. Megaclub-wannabes Manchester City reportedly have Landon Donovan on their transfer list. Which begs the question: Would this be a wise choice for America’s soccer poster boy?

Despite the rumors , a move to Manchester City would be unwise for Donovan.  The Champions League-hungry City are free to splash their cash at whomever they want, and will not be shy in crudely distorting the transfer market for the second straight summer.  And in Donovan, I can guarantee that boss Roberto Mancini sees Donovan as a role player rather than an integral cog in his starting XI.

While Brazil’s Robinho has made it clear he desires no return to rainy Manchester, Donovan would still have an all-world attacking line of Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy, and the newly-acquired £30M David Silva of Valencia.  That list doesn’t even mention Shaun Wright-Phillips are England’s young starlet Adam Johnson, both of which play on the wing.

Silva has been a target for big European clubs for countless summers, with cash-strapped and horribly-run Valencia finally offloading their two superstar Davids, Villa to Barcelona and now Silva to City.  It is a massive signing for City, as Silva is a super-Donovan: able to play at forward, attacking mid, winger, essentially anywhere in attack just like the American.

Expect Bellamy or Johnson to play opposite Silva as dual outside-attacking midfielders, with Adebayor and Tevez up front and Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry as screening midfielders.

Where would this leave Donovan?

At 28, he is entering a prime age to play on the biggest stage possible and maximize any and all talent he possesses.  Personally, I believe in the next few years he must seize his chance at playing top-flight football once and for all, then retire to the MLS around 31 or 32.  Despite a stellar Cup run, Donovan is still not in the class of many of the top footballers of Manchester City’s grand ambition.  He would more than likely be relegated to bench player, which could serve to stymie his burgeoning career.

Granted, all this is sheer speculation as Donovan has always publicized his love of playing in his home state for the Galaxy, where he is a hero. But were he to make another go at Europe, Donovan’s best bet would be to return to Everton if they table an offer.  He proved his worth, albeit in a short loan period, last season.  He has the trust and respect of David Moyes, and would be a key component at Moyes’ attempt to return Everton to European competition.

While an American playing on a “big” club (City haven’t won anything since the ’60s, but these days money equals “big” status) would be a great boon to American soccer’s profile, if that player were left to rot on the bench and pull another Leverkusen debacle, it would be detrimental to both his career and the US national team.

Donovan should move to England, just not to City.  A move to a mid-table side where he would definitively be a leader and first on the teamsheet is a better situation for him.

Besides, who wouldn’t want to see Donovan vs. Dempsey twice a year?

This article is from the blog: Pitchmen

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