Landon Donovan’s return will be a massive boost for Everton

Everton’s financial troubles have been well documented, and apparent in the light that manager David Moyes didn’t spend a penny in the summer despite the departures of Mikel Arteta and Jermaine Beckford for substantial fees.

His threadbare squad has been tested to the limit, with Moyes often turning to midfielders Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini to play as emergency strikers in the absence of Louis Saha.

From January though, it seems he could have found the solution to his attacking problems.

Landon Donovan has agreed a return to Merseyside, in a similar loan deal to that which saw him play thirteen games for the club in 2010.

As the MLS is in the midst of its off-season, Donovan is keen to stay sharp and match-fit, but made it clear that Everton was the only English club he would have been willing to join temporarily.

The technical forward will hope to improve on a return of two goals in thirteen matches this time, but if he can find a similar level of performance to that he discovered in his initial spell with the club, his cult hero status at Goodison could elevate further.

Having been over-awed by the spirit of the English game and encapsulated in Everton’s tight-knit community when first appearing for the Toffees, Donovan has outlined that a return to the Blues was too good an opportunity to miss and tweeted, “Once a Toffee, always a Toffee” following the announcement of his return yesterday.

It would seem that a player with such passion for the club, along with the immensely positive atmosphere that his arrival will stir up, can only bode well for a club that traditionally perform better in the second half of the season.

There would be no surprises should Everton begin to climb up the table and better their 12th placed position in the coming months.