THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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{, 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 labouring in Premier League, the team was drawn Friday to face Sporting Lisbon in the round-of-32 in the Europa League.