The Galaxy will sign EPL club Liverpool MF Steven Gerrard "after the Premier League season ends" to an 18-month pro-rated contract worth $6M per year, according to a source cited by Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.com. The source said that the MLS BOG "approved the deal because the league will pick up $750,000 of Gerrard's deal." The Galaxy "already have Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane and U.S. defender Omar Gonzalez" as two of their three Designated Players, but "the third slot came available" when F Landon Donovan retired. Gerrard on Saturday "confirmed in a video on Liverpool TV" that he would be leaving the EPL to move to the U.S., but added that he had "yet to complete a deal with a specific team." Gerrard "has spent his entire career with Liverpool" (ESPNFC.com, 1/3). In L.A., Kevin Baxter wrote Gerrard's move to MLS is "one of the most significant in the league's 19-year history." A move to Southern California "makes sense for Gerrard from a personal standpoint since his wife, Alex Curran, is a model and fashion designer who could benefit from access to the entertainment industry." He is set to become the "fifth-best-paid player" in MLS (L.A. TIMES, 1/4). The N.Y. DAILY NEWS noted there "had been some speculation that Gerrard could move to replace" former Red Bulls F Thierry Henry "due to his long standing relationship" with Red Bulls Head of Global Football Gerard Houllier (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/4). The L.A. TIMES' Baxter noted Toronto FC and "deep-pocketed Middle Eastern clubs" also expressed interest in acquiring Gerrard, who is reportedly making $13.2M from Liverpool this season (L.A. TIMES, 1/2).
