Is Galaxy chasing Michael Owen to replace Landon Donovan?

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Although the Galaxy has been tight-lipped about the possibility of losing forward Landon Donovan to Bayern Munich, one English tabloid reported Sunday that the Major League Soccer team is in pursuit of England national team striker Michael Owen as a possible replacement.

According to the Mirror, Owen’s status as a free agent by June ‘has put him on top of the wanted list for [the] Galaxy’s billionaire owner Philip Anschutz.’

The newspaper, always best read with a large grain of salt, said Owen, 29, ‘could form a productive partnership with Beckham,’ ignoring the fact that even if the Galaxy could somehow squeeze both players beneath the MLS salary cap, Owen is unlikely to put his place in the 2010 World Cup at further risk by moving to the U.S.

Already pushed to the fringe of the England national team despite being its fourth all-time leading goal scorer, Owen, like Beckham, needs to be playing at the highest level in order to secure his place in South Africa, should England qualify for the 2010 tournament, as expected.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker, now nearing the end of his contract with Newcastle United, is far more likely to sign with another Premier League team than he is to embark on an American adventure.

Donovan, meanwhile, is hoping to make his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich on Friday when Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s team returns from the winter break and plays at Hamburg SV. Donovan, on loan until March, has scored four goals in five friendly games for Bayern, increasing speculation that Klinsmann will make a bid to sign him.

The Galaxy could earn as much as $10 million by selling Donovan, but would receive nothing once he became a free agent when his contract expires.

A Galaxy spokesman Saturday night said he was unaware of any moves the team might be contemplating should Donovan move to Germany before the MLS season begins March 19.

The Galaxy’s team blog said Sunday that Beckham and Donovan ‘will be back on the field for L.A.’ when the Galaxy plays the Chicago Fire in a preseason match at Tempe, Ariz., on March 14.

--Grahame L. Jones