Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Wednesday he may be interested in signing Landon Donovan from Major League Soccer side the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The 28-year-old midfielder had a successful 10-week loan spell at Premier League team Everton last season and was the leading scorer for the United States at the World Cup with three goals.
''Donovan is a good player. Could be possible,'' Mancini said, ahead of his club's friendly matches against Sporting Lisbon and Thierry Henry's New York Red Bulls. ''The market is open until the end of August. Could be.''
MLS commissioner Don Garber said last week he doesn't intend to sell Donovan, who agreed in December a four-year contract with MLS that pays him a base salary this year of $2.05 million.
Speaking last weekend in Washington, D.C., Donovan said talk of a transfer was premature. He didn't object to Garber's remarks.
''If we need to have a discussion at some point, then we will,'' Donovan said. ''But at this point, that's his opinion. If I were the commissioner I would say the same thing.''
Everton captain Phil Neville told Everton TV this month that ''I've spoken to Landon and I know for a fact that he wants to come back here.''
City already has signed Yaya Toure, David Silva and Jerome Boateng this summer. Mancini said the club was considering bids for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner and Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli.
City plays Sporting on Friday, before facing the Red Bulls on Sunday.
Mancini is missing midfielder Nigel de Jong, who was yellow-carded in the Netherlands' loss to Spain in the World Cup final for a kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso.
Mancini doesn't think referees will be particularly quick to call fouls on De Jong.
''Nigel is a good player,'' the Italian said. ''He's a correct player. He's a strong player. He plays always to win, which is important. But he's not a dirty player.''
Mancini said the club is considering bids for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner and Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli.
New York's game against Spurs on Thursday will mark Henry's debut with the club - his first match since France's first-round elimination at the World Cup.
''I'm trying to get back into shape. I didn't do a lot for the past two, three weeks,'' Henry said. ''I'm not 100 percent, as you can imagine.''
Tottenham is a North London rival of Arsenal, a club Henry helped to win Premier League titles in 2002 and 2004.
Having finished fourth last season, Spurs is preparing for the Champions League qualifying playoffs that begin Aug. 17-18. Earlier Thursday, the International Football Association Board extended its experiment with two extra officials for this year's Champions League.
Trials began with last season's Europa League, the No. 2 club competition.
''I don't like that. Technology is the cure. It's going to happen. You've got to have goal line technology. It's a must,'' Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said. ''I went to watch games last year and even with the guy behind the goal, they still got it wrong. In the end, I think it's too many cooks. I don't think that's a great idea, but the technology I've been saying for years is something that has to happen. It's in every sport - certainly in England. You have it in American football. It's everywhere. It takes seconds to get the right call.''
