FC Bayern set to sign Landon Donovan on loan

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[GALLERY] Donovan in Munich
pictures

Landon Donovan has arrived in Munich. In the next 10 days, during MLS' break, he will be training at FC Bayern.

Klinsmann says he knows Donovan from his time at LA Galaxy and Donovan will be training with Bayern to stay fit.

Is this some kind of trial?

[Munchen Minded]

Sounds like a trial to me. It would be good to add Donovan if we actually decide to, as he is quick and can score goals and he is young and would make a great backup anywhere in attacking midfield or as a forward. Not sure what the plans are for Poldi in this case.

[RunX]

Its Okay to get him as a 4th striker in Loan.

[Poldi]

Yeah Its good to loan him and put him to be 4th striker, good is that he wouldnt mutter anything if he is sub, while poldi is ofcorse not happy there. Althought it looks me only like trial...

[Vargas_4]

Doesn't seem anything than more than what it is, to me.

It's just him training. Like when Beckham trained with Arsenal for a while.

[vampyrian]

Originally Posted by Vargas_4

Doesn't seem anything than more than what it is, to me.

It's just him training. Like when Beckham trained with Arsenal for a while.

I think so too.

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I hope you're right, Vargas.

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A Landon Donovan Video

[Tomori]

He can be useful if Klose, Toni and Podolski are all injured at the same time.

[Lemmy]

It is unlikely that all three will be injured at the same time. And also, I doubt Donovan would move to be fourth in line.

[Munchen Minded]

I know that most of you will disagree with me, but Donovan reminds me of a Ribery clone. His pace is outstanding, he is attack minded. Yet he can head the ball, aggressive, etc. He wouldn't be a bench warmer, and definitely could be used even with all 3 of our forwards healthy. I could easily imagine a Donovan and Ribery link up in Midfield that would be explosive. Ribery and Ribery jr, WOW! I just see alot of parallelisms between Ribery and Donovan.

I guess since he didn't make it at Leverkusen, and because he is american, that people don't like him. Yet I believe he has matured after going back to america, does well for his national team (which plays against Euro teams in various competitions), and he does extremely well.

I would take him in a heart beat, plus JK knows him and of his abilities. Even if he is training with Bayern to stay fit, I highly doubt it. As there were rumours before linking Donovan with a move as JK likes him. Also, out of all the teams he could train with to keep in shape it so happens to be Bayern? come on. This is has trial written all over it. I think that the Bayern staff needs to know that Donovan can operate with Bayerns stars and in Germany again.

But all of this is my opinion, so don't hold it against me.

[RunX]

I remember that Donovan played for Bayer Leverkusen, Some one knows why he returend to the MLS?

[RunX]

American Debate: Are Bayern The Right Team For Landon Donovan?

American fans have long wished that Landon Donovan would push himself more, but it might be over-reaching to even think about joining a team like Bayern Munich.

On trial for ten days in Germany, Landon Donovan has said he is finally ready to take on the challenge of a playing career in Europe.

However, he is not making it easy on himself by looking to latch on with Bayern Munich, even if it is at the personal invitation of their American-based coach, Juergen Klinsmann. The squad is one of the top clubs in Europe and demanding fans expect the German giants to compete for the league title in their country every year.

With a midfield and attacking corps that includes the likes of Lukas Podolski, Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose, Franck Ribery and Ze Roberto, its a daunting task to hope to draw enough interest to attract an offer to join the club, let alone gain any playing time or crack the starting lineup.

Yet there are American fans for whom logic goes out the window when they dream about what Donovan might accomplish if he pushes himself.

"You always ask a lot more of your more talented players," said U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley, himself no stranger to giving Donovan an necessary nudge or two. "We've set challenges for Landon and he rises to try to meet them. We know that people expect more of him because he is capable."

However, Bradley did acknowledge that sometimes it can be detrimental for a U.S. player to land with a team that is simply too good to allow that person opportunities to develop.

"The situation at Bayern would be incredibly competitive," Bradley stated. "It's never easy to say, for any of our players who choose Europe, what's best. The competition to get on the field for some clubs is greater, but that can be a plus. In others, maybe you get on the field more, but now the pressure of winning to avoid relegation - there's different challenges."

What Donovan does offer that is a bit unique is his elusive quickness. He's small, but he can be slippery with the ball at his feet. His stamina is such that just when other players have their speed affected by fatigue, Donovan finds another gear. Even in the rigorous Bundesliga, this could be an unsettling element.

It's also not as if Donovan doesn't know what the Bundesliga requires. His previous team, Bayer Leverkusen, now sits at the top of the league table, just above Bayern Munich.

"The key for Landon is being in the right place mentally," noted another veteran of the German league, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who now plays for Seattle. "It also helps to have Klinsmann there, because he understands things more from the American side of things. I think this is huge opportunity and something that Landon wants to prove, that he can do it over there."

Soccer is still far enough under the American radar that many players find themselves without much pressure from either fans or media. In Europe, the top talent in the world gathers at the best clubs, so the intra-squad struggle for playing time is especially fierce.

"Over there, every week is a competition to see who has proven themselves during the week to play," said Eric Wynalda, who played in the Bundesliga as a rare American forward back in the nineties. "When you get to Friday, if you haven't proven yourself or if you had a bad week, you're not on the board. You can take one of two looks at that - 'I'm ticked off, what do I need to do?' and go do it, or give up."

The best chance Donovan might have to break in with Bayern is to face the enormity of the mission head-on. He has always been the sort of personality that seems to play a level higher when just a bit angry, a lot stubborn and driven by the single purpose of proving expectations wrong. There are moments when he just seems to will a goal to happen, and if he turns that determination into an effort to impress at Bayern, he just might block out the distractions and doubts that have plagued him in the past.

"These are all challenges that help our players," said Bradley. "It's hard for me to know for sure what the best scenario is for Landon. But he talks of new challenges and in that regard, I'm hopeful that something works out."

Goal.com - United States - American Debate: Are Bayern The Right Team For Landon Donovan?

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New challenge
Donovan: 'I aim to play in Europe'

By any standards, Landon Donovan boasts an impressive career record. The only pro in the world game to have won his home country’s Player of the Year award five times, the 26-year-old has amassed 105 international caps, rates as the all-time leading scorer and provider for the US national team, and was Major League Soccer’s top marksman last term.

Despite all that, the seasoned Donovan had been “a little bit nervous” before his first workout with the Bayern squad, he confessed on Thursday after training at the Säbener Strasse for the third time. Even for the man described by Jürgen Klinsmann as “THE really exceptional player in North America, Mexico included,” training with Germany’s biggest club is a little bit out of the ordinary.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to see how the game’s played here,” said Donovan, who has noted a slew of differences compared to US soccer even after just a few days in Germany, in terms of history, professionalism, and especially in the depth of talent. “Every player here, from number 1 to number 22, is a better player. American teams only have one or two really good players.”

For these reasons, Donovan reckons his future lies away from the USA, where he has achieved practically everything there is to achieve. He is searching for a new challenge. “I’d really like to play in Europe,” he stated. “Landon knows Europe is where the action is in football, and he has all the attributes you need to succeed in Europe,” commented Klinsmann, who became acquainted with the 26-year-old in a spell together at MLS outfit Los Angeles Galaxy.

Landon will now seek to demonstrate those same qualities in ten days as an invited guest at Bayern. “I want to see how I get on,” he said, knowing his first foray into the Bundesliga ended in failure. He joined the Bayer Leverkusen youth section as a hugely-talented 16-year-old back in 1999, but never made the breakthrough into the pro ranks. “I was still young and not mature enough for Leverkusen. I wasn’t ready,” he recalls, “but I’m a different person and a different player now.”

“He’s an outstanding footballer with bags of quality – and he’s only 26. I think he’d definitely make his mark in the Bundesliga,” said Miroslav Klose after training with the USA star. Uli Hoeneß, an eagle-eyed spectator at a practice match featuring the American on Tuesday, was also impressed: “The lad can play, no doubt about it.”

The FCB general manager was asked whether the versatile attacker, equally at home up front or in midfield, could be an option for Bayern. “He’ll train here for ten days and then we’ll see,” Hoeneß answered. Donovan insisted he had come to Bayern with no preconceptions or expectations. Whatever, he is on the verge of a major step in his career, so it is good that his initial nerves have evaporated and he feels increasingly comfortable at FCB: “I’m really enjoying my time here.”

FC Bayern

[Vargas_4]

The media are really getting carried away with the idea of Donovan playing with us.

Let's not panic. It's all bullshit.