I don’t know this. But I believe it.

Rumor floating around … that Manchester City, the new big spender of the English Premier League, is trying to add Landon Donovan to its roster. Considering that he scored three goals in the World Cup and had that nice 10 weeks with Everton last winter … Sure. City could be interested.

Roberto Mancini, City’s dapper Italian coach, yesterday said yes, he would like to have Landon on his team. And maybe, just maybe, City has enough money to throw at people that they could afford to pay the transfer fee and bring Landon over from MLS and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

I don’t think that is going to happen, though, and here is why:

1. MLS need.

Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer, said a week or so ago that he was not going to sign off on a Donovan transfer, saying the league needed him. “He’s become a real soccer hero,” Garber said. “MLS needs soccer heroes and we have a great American soccer hero playing for us in L.A., holding the torch for the sport in our country, and that’s very important. I don’t believe it’s something we can do without. Landon is, in my view, the greatest player of our generation and an incredibly valuable part of our history, but also of our future. He proved in England last year on loan and he proved in South Africa that he’s a world-class player, and he’s also proved that he loves our league and really has accepted the mantle of really being one of the leaders of the sport. It is my hope and my expectation that we have him for the rest of his career because I think that the contributions that he makes are invaluable to our future success.”

OK, maybe Garber is just talking up Landon in an attempt to drive up a potential transfer fee. Maybe his praise is too lavish, too over-the-top. Maybe.

But Landon is unique in the U.S. soccer world right now, and I believe Garber knows that. An American player who can sell tickets and keep the league relevant and vaguely American. Let the rest of the national team go play in England, Germany, etc., but this is a guy they need to keep to demonstrate that not every good U.S. player is out of the country.

2. Landon’s comfort zone and his flexibility. Landon likes being home. And “home” is SoCal. Not England. Still, MLS and the Galaxy have made clear they are OK with the 10-week loans Landon has gone on the past few winters. To Bayern Munich and then to Everton. He can do another one this coming winter,  if he’s up to it. And then he can come home.

Anyway, I believe Landon agitated for those loans because he always had that little bit of doubt in the back of his mind that he could hang with the elite clubs. He was pretty sure he could, but he didn’t actually know … and now he does. He absolutely held his own with Everton, and was part of a really nice run by the Toffees. So the “hmm, can I make it there?” thing … that’s not in play anymore.

But if he wants to go back for 10 more weeks … go to it. He can test the water again without taking a plunge.

3. Financial comfort. Maybe he can make a bit more money in the Premiership, but Landon is doing OK in MLS. He apparently is going to make a bit more than $2 million this year, and got a four-year MLS contract extension through 2014. A guy can live pretty well on $2 million. As Landon once told me himself, “How much money do you need, really?”

4. Personal issues. If you saw the ESPYs, that was Bianca Kajlich sitting next to Landon. That is, it was his wife. And they appeared to be having a great time and to be quite happy, and not looking one bit like a couple whose divorce was supposed to become final sometime this month.

At this moment in history, I can’t see Landon pursuing long stretches of time out of the country while his wife is still tied to Los Angeles with a very successful sitcom by the name of “Rules of Engagement.” Remember, those two got the matching hummingbird tattoos on their wrists, because “hummingbirds mate for life.” When they are going good, and it seems they are now, they are a “schmoopy” couple (for those of you who remember that Seinfeld episode). Landon doing nine months in Liverpool … just don’t see it happening right now. Too much time away from Schmoopy.

Of course, he left things open. As he told Sports Illustrated, “I’m interested in anything that comes my way. I would always listen to any offers and any interest.  My guess would be that we’ll hear something from some folks at some point, but if not, I love being here and I love being part of this team and that’s not going to change.”

Rumors will continue to crop up. Especially in the next few weeks as the big Euro clubs finish off their rosters. And then they will percolate again in November or so, with the next transfer period coming up.

Landon’s name will be attached to some of those. His agent, Richard Motzkin, will listen to all the offers.

But Landon will stay with with MLS, with the Galaxy, with Binky.

I don’t know that. But that’s what I believe.