Galaxy Announce Neither Donovan Nor Beckham Will Go On Loan

At this time last season, both Landon Donovan and David Beckham were preparing to leave the Los Angeles Galaxy for loans with European clubs. Donovan went away to Everton for a highly successful spell in which his reputation grew and the Toffees enjoyed their best run of play last season. Beckham went to Italy for a spell with AC Milan, but his time with the famed club was cut short when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon that kept him sidelined for the remainder of his loan with Milan and until just before the MLS Cup Playoffs with the Galaxy.

There was speculation that both Donovan and Beckham would go out on loan again in January, but on Tuesday the Galaxy squashed those rumors by saying that Donovan would be staying put this summer, a day after saying the same of Beckham. With Edson Buddle on loan with Birmingham City and the rumored acquisition of Ronaldinho still very much a rumor, Los Angeles gets a modicum of stability in their attack going into 2011 with the announcement that both Donovan and Beckham will not be going on loan.

One thing that made Donovan's possible loan uncertain was his uncertainty about whether he even wanted to go on loan. After going on loan last MLS offseason, Donovan has gone nearly two years without a break and before he even decided where he wanted to go on loan and where to, he had to decide if his body could handle another loan or if it needed a rest. Everton and Fulham were both rumored to be interested in bringing Donovan in on loan, but in the end, Donovan decided that his body needed a rest and that he did not want to go out on loan. Even so, the permanent transfer that some feel would be best for Donovan has not been ruled out, although it is hardly imminent.

Beckham was on the other side of things, publicly stating that he would like to go on loan to help revive his England career. Even so, the Galaxy quickly moved to say that Beckham would not be going anywhere this winter, presumably out of fear of him injuring himself like he did last year. What was not ruled out was the possibility that Beckham could go abroad and train with a European club this summer, as he did in 2007 when he trained with Arsenal to stay fit.