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Lalas: MLS Sets Donovan Price
On the Columbus Crew versus Chicago playoff telecast, former Los Angeles Galaxy general manager speculated that the price for Landon Donovan, should Bayern Munich pursue him, could be set by Major League Soccer as the highest in the organization's history.
Nov 13, 2008 8:03:36 PM
Though Landon Donovan's fate no longer rests in his hands in any way,
Alexi Lalas still has a long history with Major League Soccer that
causes him to guess what their plans are for Donovan, who is now on
trial in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Unlike most teams around the world, the Galaxy do not own the contracts of their players. None of the teams in the single-entity MLS do. It is the league itself, in consultation with the teams affected, that determines the trade value of players drawing overseas interest.
The highest payment the league has received for an MLS player is the $10 million Villarreal paid out for Jozy Altidore, who joined the Spanish squad earlier this year.
Lalas stated on ESPN's pregame playoff show that he believed that if Bayern Munich asked MLS for Donovan, the price would be set at $15 million.
"Of course, Bayern Munich would rather pay $6 or $7 million," said Lalas. "The two sides might reach agreement somewhere in the middle."
It remains to be seen if the German giants are even interested in the possibility of Donovan, but Lalas seemed convinced that it was already telling that the 2008 league Golden Boot winner had even been invited for a trial.
--Andrea Canales, Goal.com
Unlike most teams around the world, the Galaxy do not own the contracts of their players. None of the teams in the single-entity MLS do. It is the league itself, in consultation with the teams affected, that determines the trade value of players drawing overseas interest.
The highest payment the league has received for an MLS player is the $10 million Villarreal paid out for Jozy Altidore, who joined the Spanish squad earlier this year.
Lalas stated on ESPN's pregame playoff show that he believed that if Bayern Munich asked MLS for Donovan, the price would be set at $15 million.
"Of course, Bayern Munich would rather pay $6 or $7 million," said Lalas. "The two sides might reach agreement somewhere in the middle."
It remains to be seen if the German giants are even interested in the possibility of Donovan, but Lalas seemed convinced that it was already telling that the 2008 league Golden Boot winner had even been invited for a trial.
--Andrea Canales, Goal.com
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