Manchester City Confirms Interest in Landon Donovan

Nouveau riche English Premier League club Manchester City, which can afford just about any player in the world thanks to the largesse of its owners from Abu Dhabi, are targeting Landon Donovan, coach Roberto Mancini has confirmed.

Rumors of City's interest in the Galaxy star first surfaced toward the end of the World Cup, and speculation about Donovan's future has been a hot topic since his return to MLS. Naturally, he's refused to add to it. But Mancini, who is leading his team on a five-game U.S. tour set to continue Friday at Red Bull Arena, lacks Donovan's discipline.

"Landon Donovan is a good player. It's possible [that City could sign him]," Mancini said Wednesday in advance of the Barclays New York Challenge, which also will feature the New York Red Bulls, Sporting Lisbon, Tottenham Hotspur and Thursday's Big Apple debut of Thierry Henry.

According to The Independent, a City scout attended all four U.S. games at the World Cup. That scout would have seen Donovan score three goals, including the Group C clincher against Algeria.

It's already been a busy summer for the ambitious club. They've signed David Silva (from Valencia), Yaya Touré (Barcelona) and Jerome Boateng (Hamburg) for a combined sum in excess of $100 million, according to reports. The club has also been linked with Inter Milan stars Maicon and Mario Balotelli, Aston Villa's James Milner, Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Wolfsburg star Edin Dzeko.

Club officials denied that they've made an official approach for Donovan, according to The Guardian, but that doesn't mean that contact hasn't been established behind the scenes.

On the surface, a move to City would be an unwise one for Donovan. He certainly proved he can play at the Premier League level during his loan at Everton, but City is quickly establishing itself as a club that has no interest in developing talent or allowing its players time to grow comfortable with the team or with each other. Its absentee owners want immediate results, meaning patience will be thin and competition for playing time will be cutthroat to a counterproductive degree.

In addition, the fact that no player will be out of reach, in theory, to a club with limitless resources means every player in a City jersey will remain unsettled. Donovan doesn't need that tension, nor does the U.S. national team have to worry about whether its best player is getting regular minutes.

There are plenty of excellent clubs in Europe where Donovan will be more than a line on a financial ledger. If he desires a move abroad, he should choose one of them.