United States forward Landon Donovan will join Everton on a
short-term loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Premier League club, which announced the deal Friday, is
hoping the American's pace, experience and scoring record will help
the team climb away from relegation trouble.
Donovan has to get a work permit to complete the loan, which
will run from January until mid-March. It will finish in time for
the 27-year-old player to return to the MLS for the Galaxy's
opening match on March 27.
"It's all done now," Everton manager David Moyes said.
"Landon will join us at the start of January. He will come in and
add pace. He's a good finisher."
The deal was announced two days after Donovan signed a new
four-year contract with the Galaxy. He will team up with Tim
Howard, the first choice goalkeeper for the United States who is in
his fourth season with Everton since moving from Manchester United.
"Hopefully he is the first of two or three we want to bring
in January," said Moyes, whose team is 15th in the standings, one
point above the relegation zone. "We need to strengthen our squad
to make sure we are not in a situation like we have at the moment
with so many injuries.
"He was voted best player, yet again, in the American league.
I need players who can hit the ground running, who I think can go
into the team quite quickly and make an impact. With his experience
and the goals he has scored, I am hoping he will be able to do
that."
Moyes said he was hoping Donovan will make the same impact
Brian McBride had when the American striker, then with Columbus
Crew, moved to English football nine years ago in a loan deal with
Preston.
"He is only going to be with us 2 1/2, maybe three months, so
it is a short time to make an impact," Moyes said of Donovan. "But
I brought Brian McBride to Preston in a similar situation and he
made an impact. I then brought him to Everton and he made an impact
here."
It is Donovan's second overseas loan in 12 months. He went to
Bayern Munich from January to March and previously had stints with
Bayer Leverkusen in 1999 and 2004.
Although Everton, which reached the FA Cup final last season,
is laboring in Premier League, the team was drawn Friday to face
Sporting Lisbon in the round-of-32 in the Europa League.
