by nufc1986 » Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:36 am
United wait for Owen Aug 30 2005
By Stuart Rayner, The Journal
Michael Owen is expected to tell Newcastle United today whether he is ready to join them but, with a final decision dependent on so many other possible transfers, the England vice-captain's future is still no clearer.
From the Magpies' perspective the matter is a simple one. They have lodged a club-record bid - believed to be around £16m - for the player.
But Owen's declared preference for a return to Liverpool has seriously muddied the waters.
Yesterday Newcastle did their best to persuade Owen his future lay in the North-East with chairman Freddie Shepherd, his son Kenny, manager Graeme Souness, coach Dean Saunders and player-coach Alan Shearer all meeting the 25-year-old at a Northumberland hotel for talks.
Before heading to the North-East, Owen first held talks with his former club and, while Shepherd and co will have been working hard to convince the striker to come to Newcastle, the talks in Merseyside may have revolved around Owen trying to persuade the Reds to move for him.
Unlike United, Liverpool are yet to table an offer for their former striker and it is still unclear whether manager Rafael Benitez will do so. Benitez has stated on a number of occasions a central defender remains his priority and, having sold the player for £8m - plus makeweight Antonio Nunez - only 12 months ago, he will be reluctant to get anywhere near to matching Newcastle's offer for a player who is well down the Madrid pecking order.
That was further underlined when Owen was even not named on Real's seven-man substitutes' bench for Sunday's 2-1 La Liga win over Cadiz.
Owen is very keen to move back to the North-West and has previously said he would only consider a loan move to Newcastle. Madrid, though, would prefer a permanent transfer so they can put the money towards an £18.4m bid for 19-year-old Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos.
Madrid have already spent nearly £40m this summer and, unlike in years gone by, are endeavouring to exercise financial prudence when buying players.
For Liverpool to make an acceptable offer for Owen, they would have to sell striker Djibril Cisse, who is rated at £8m. Tottenham Hotspur and Lyon are both thought to be interested, but Marseille would appear the most likely destination for the French forward.
However, general manager Pape Diouf has admitted: "I am waiting to see how things go but, as I have always said, it's a complicated situation."
Like Benitez, Marseille coach Jean Fernandez is more interested in a central defender. Liverpool's search, though, is becoming increasingly frustrated.
Roma manager Luciano Spalletti has refused to sell Philippe Mexes, despite the club having a ban on transfer activity lifted, while another Liverpool target - Dutch centre-back Wilfred Bouma - has had a medical at Aston Villa after the Midlands club agreed a fee with PSV Eindhoven.
Until Liverpool make their intentions clear, Souness must make contingency plans. But, with tomorrow's transfer deadline looming, his options seem to be running out should Owen turn his back on United.
A deal for Nicolas Anelka now looks a non-starter after Fenerbahçe refused to back down from their valuation of the former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool striker, which Newcastle felt was unrealistic. And now United targets Dirk Kuyt and Cristiano Lucarelli both appear out of Souness' reach as well.
Kuyt, the subject of £10m bids from Everton and Spurs, told Feyenoord's offical website: "I have taken my definitive decision. I decided on Sunday evening to remain at Feyenoord."
Livorno's 29-year-old striker Lucarelli has confirmed both Newcastle and Spurs had expressed an interest, but club president Aldo Spinelli said: "We are not interested in selling Lucarelli."