So, uh. This was unexpected.
Yesterday reports started to emerge that Real Salt Lake had offered a contract to semi-retired LA Galaxy legend Landon Donovan.
Earlier this month Donovan announced that he would retire again after briefly returning to the pitch for the home stretch of the Galaxy’s 2016 season. The campaign ended in the Western Conference Semifinals at the hands of the Colorado Rapids. With Bruce Arena leaving the Galaxy for a second stint in charge of the USMNT and several high-profile DPs leaving the squad, Donovan quietly announced his second retirement on December 6th.
Yet Donovan is apparently having second thoughts. He hasn’t dismissed RSL’s offer out of hand, so it’s entirely possible he’s considering it. There are also rumors that an Eastern Conference team is putting a bid together. Given his “retirement,” and his ties to the Galaxy, these developments are definitely out of left field.
Of course, it’s possible Donovan is entertaining offers from other clubs to gain leverage in renewed contract talks with LA. It’s also possible that there really isn’t that much meat to these rumors and reports, and we’ll all have egg on our face in two or three weeks when Donovan announces that no, really, he’s retired.
Still. If there’s any truth to this, and if Donovan does actually sign for another MLS club, the 2017 MLS Season could start off with a huge bang.