United aim to land Toon striker for £7million
FERGIE LAUNCHES OWEN BID
By ANDY DUNN and DAVID HARRISON
MANCHESTER UNITED have taken the first steps in a sensational move to sign Michael Owen.
Informal contact has been made between United and Owen's representatives over a summer transfer.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes he can snap up the England striker for a cut-price £7million and is pushing for a speedy conclusion to the deal.
Sir Alex will go on and on, says Dalglish: Click here for full story
Fergie: It's unthinkable we won't win a trophy: Click here for full story
The United boss is convinced Owen can provide the missing ingredient to his strike force – a penalty box predator who can convert half chances.
Fergie confirmed this week that an Owen-type striker was high on his list of summer targets.
Louis Saha looks certain to be unloaded and Sir Alex said: "We will buy. Along with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney, we may need experience in one forward position, somebody to take over from Ryan Giggs eventually."
Owen's recent goal-scoring form has convinced Fergie he can still cut it at the highest level. However, he would probably want to sign the striker on an incentive-based contract, dependent on games and goals.
Immediate
United's interest comes at a time when Owen's future at Newcastle has been thrown into serious doubt.
Talks have yet to begin on a new contract and the indications are that he will be expected to take a £40,000-a-week cut on his £120,000-a-week earnings.
That will be rejected by Owen and he will either press for an immediate move or see out the last year of his deal and go for free in 2009.
Meanwhile, Fergie will pick up a £500,000 bonus if he leads United to the double and nd his weekly wages will rise from £70,000 to £90,000.
gets injured too often . no not another saha plz
Posted by: Omar | May 11, 2008 at 12:45 AM | Report this comment
Don't think he will take the chance with owen, if he leaves newcastle it will be the biggest mistake of his career meaning he'll only get a couple of games in if he's lucky and sit the rest of it on the bench he's not the same player as he was when he was at liverpool. So again it's all just rubbish, if you believe this you'll believe anything !!!!
Posted by: DJ | May 11, 2008 at 12:58 AM | Report this comment
NO DONT DO THIS TO US, WE ARE HAVING A GREAT SEASON AND DONT NEED THIS PLAYER , I CONSIDER SOME 1 LIKE BEN ARTHER , AGUERO , POTO , ROBINHO , BOJAN WILL B GREAT SIGNINGS
Posted by: ben | May 11, 2008 at 01:01 AM | Report this comment
Don't think fergie will for him, if owen leaves Newcastle it will be the biggest mistake he's ever made meaning if he joins then he'll get a couple of games in if he's luck and then sit the rest of his career on the bench. fergie has that reputation with his players it's a well known fact look at Forlan and Smith when they were there, Saha looks set to be treated the same.
Posted by: DJ | May 11, 2008 at 01:03 AM | Report this comment
the whole reason Fergie wants a striker is due to Saha's constant injuries, if Saha was fit then i doubt he would feel the need to buy. To top it all off the Sun have given an 'alternative' to Fergie which is just as bad as Saha, if not worse, on the very same terms Sir Alex wants a new striker - INJURIESSS
Posted by: Adam | May 11, 2008 at 01:39 AM | Report this comment
Well whoever Fergie brings in would be great for the club
because otherwise he wouldent bring them in
just remember all
fergie knows best always has done always will
Posted by: stuart | May 11, 2008 at 06:32 AM | Report this comment
there,s not been a replacement for solkjaer,but then again,who COULD REPLACE HIM?!!!!But a "poacher" striker,s the only need for Fergie,and he,s had a knack of signing players who no other team give a look at,for 1 reason or another,such as Cantona,then Sherringham,and look what they did!!We,ve seen Fletcher and Brown come up through the ranks,then in some games this season,both have been the best player in the team!!Brown against Barca was a GIANT at the back,even Ferdinand admitted it after the match on tv!!So maybe there,s another striker who,s going to come up from the youth squad and take all except Dergie by surprise,and save the club a fortune again.But up front we do need cover for Rooney,Tevez and Ronaldo,as injuries to 1 of them we seem to cope with,but i doubt that could happen if 2 were out injured!!But full credit to Fergie,as this season,s been the best since the Treble season,and he,s "built" 3 squads now,and this current squad!!Experience,youth and a style and atitude only Fergie could put together,Gary Neville didn,t deserve to miiss out on this season,but Giggsy hasn,t let us down in any game he,s played,then Scholsey just HAD TO SEND THE TEAM TO MOSCOW!!Chelsea have to WIN THE DOUBLE,AS IT,S UTD,S TO LOSE NOW,and FERGIE HAS KNOWN THAT FOR THE LAST MONTH.Who can replace FERGIE IS THE BIGGEST QUESTION FOR ALL UTD,S BOARD,SQUAD,AND FANS NOW!!IF DAVE MOYES AND MARK HUGHES HAD A FEW MORE SEASONS EXPERIENCE,THEY,D BE IN THE FRAME,BUT CAN WE KEEP FERGIE FOR 3 MORE SEASONS,SO THEY GET THAT EXPERIENCE?!!HE KNOWS THAT,SO THE BOARD HAVE GOT TO DO ALLTHEY CAN,THEN HOPE THEY KEEP HIM!!
Posted by: andy | May 11, 2008 at 07:31 AM | Report this comment
Utd have a ready made class striker in Frazier Campbell
Posted by: Horsham Tiger | May 11, 2008 at 07:36 AM | Report this comment
IF OWEN GOES TO ANY OTHER TEAM THAT WILL BE A MISTAKE AND A SHAME THAT THE BOY HAS NO GUTS TO STICK IT OUT AT THE TOON TO SEE HOW NEXT SEASON GOES WITH MARTINS IF THEY PLAY A SIMILAR FORMATION AS KEEGAN HAS BEEN WE WILL BE TOP SIX NEXT SEASON WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP AT THE BACK NOT SAYING WE NEED TO CHANGE PLAYERS IN THAT AREA BUT THE MIDFIELD NEED CHANGING UP A BIT.
BUT IF MR OWEN LEAVES ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD THE TOON WILL MARCH ON TO BE A GOOD TEAM NEXT SEASON
Posted by: terry taws | May 11, 2008 at 07:52 AM | Report this comment
frazier campbell lol, its all fergies here say to get the best out of manucho when he comes this summer grab the bull by the horns n all that if ur gonna buy any one player it should be benzema and quick, come on united we'll never die, we'll never die, we keep that red flag flyin high, champs today.also unlucky dale for yesterday we,ll av um at the sandy lane .Talb
Posted by: talb | May 11, 2008 at 08:07 AM | Report this comment
in signing players of proven ability, ferguson makes no mistakes, anywhere near the six yard box, owens is like jimmy greaves was, give him the ball and its in the net,cheap at half the price. barrie
Posted by: barrie cooper | May 11, 2008 at 08:12 AM | Report this comment
If EMO stays at Newcastle, great. If he leaves the Toon, I personally could n't give a toss.
Posted by: Skunkerite | May 11, 2008 at 08:26 AM | Report this comment
Fergie needs to get his head screwed on if he is seriously considering buying Owen to replace Saha. Owen has a bad history of injuries something which you can guarantee will reoccur in the new season, no matter what team he plays. As for Owen himself, he wants to think long and hard before turning his back on the Toon, they might not be Man U or Chelsea but they're a damn good team when they want to be and under Kev Keegan the Toon will do remarkably well next season should they stick to the current formation and get some bloody defence.
Posted by: Becky | May 11, 2008 at 08:26 AM | Report this comment
Nooooo, this is just not gona happen! How many injuries has he had?? He's nowhere near as good as he was when he first started & don't get me started on him being a scouse reject - we DON'T want him
Posted by: sam | May 11, 2008 at 08:41 AM | Report this comment
Man Utd dont need owen, if we needed owen then we would of signed him when he was at his peak, hes no where near what he used to be!
why not go for some1 attacking midfielder to play behind tevez n rooney, young and still yet to reach there best.
E.G: Ashley young!
Posted by: Nath | May 11, 2008 at 09:24 AM | Report this comment
Its a shame Fergie does not use some of his developement skills by bringing on the likes of Welbeck and Campbell etc after hearing so much hype over them. Granted United need a proven goal scorer, but to give them more of a run out than just the Carling Cup would be great.
Posted by: Paul | May 11, 2008 at 09:58 AM | Report this comment
We don't need another short striker. We need a 6ft + to give the team more options.
He wouldn't sign a ex-scouser away!
Posted by: mark | May 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM | Report this comment
OWEN PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THIS TEAM. I WOULD RATHER PREFER RAFA TO SIGN YOU BACK.
Posted by: CARLOS | May 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM | Report this comment
Nath: we've got Anderson for that role. He's well beyond his expected progress considering it's his first season in England, and he will become one of the best players in the world within the next four/five years - the lad has everything. When we signed both Nani and Anderson, everyone couldn't wait to see Nani because of his dynamic nature, but I knew Anderson would be the gem, despite only a handful of appearances for Porto.
Personally, I think Tevez and Rooney combine extremely well, but we're short in terms of quality replacements when (not if) they're injured. A year ago, I was slightly bemused that Fergie didn't opt to purchase someone to utilise as a focal point, but, in hindsight, that may have served only to slow down our play. Van Nistelrooy, for example, was a prolific goalscorer, but he slowed down our attacks by 10-15%. At times, you need someone to do that, but at this moment, that goes against the attacking, free flowing football that we're currently renown for, and van Nistelrooy's departure certainly served to take the shackles off Ronaldo.
Posted by: Ric | May 11, 2008 at 10:20 AM | Report this comment
Get him to Old trafford, I think Owen can show his
performance in the great team as United.
Just forget the bad time in Real and Toon
Posted by: tongpower | May 11, 2008 at 11:38 AM | Report this comment
but RAFA doesent went Owen the Liverpool supporter need to Phone refa to get Owen back
Posted by: Monsoor ali | May 11, 2008 at 11:45 AM | Report this comment
Think again Fergie Owen? I love him but not as a Manu Player, what about Welbeck, Campbell we have Rooney,Tevez,Ronaldo, or do we have him for next season, with so much old talk of him going to some other club not worth mentioning.Fergie check out your Acadamy and see who is worthy off coming to your first team BRING IT HOME MANU MY HEAQRT IS NOT GOOD WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING. I am in Trinidad&Tobago on tender hooks waiting for this ggame. again BRING IT HOME ILOVE YOU MANU.
Posted by: jen pure trini | May 11, 2008 at 12:06 PM | Report this comment
It's simple........ Huntelaar, the only player Man Utd need
Posted by: Dale Bond | May 11, 2008 at 12:24 PM | Report this comment
If Owen goes that will be the cheekiest thing ive ever heard , he's all to happy to pick his wages up every week , he cant go he owe's newcastle to much to leave
Posted by: James Christie | May 11, 2008 at 12:52 PM | Report this comment
Can't see Michael leaving United - he likes it here and he's happy. Man U can't match the wages United are paying him.
Posted by: UTD111 | May 11, 2008 at 01:34 PM | Report this comment
Fergie allways wanted Owen so it is no surprise, and he vill do a good job for them if it happens.
Posted by: ted | May 11, 2008 at 02:14 PM | Report this comment
It's no secret Owen came to NUFC for the cash. If he does a Bosman he'll proove it and we'll hate him for it. If he agrees to a new contract, he'll earn some respect from NUFC suports.
I can't see ManU buying him first, or paying him anything over £80,000 anyway. So if Owen wants to go to ManU and play 20 games, he should go now so at least NUFC can get some money back.
Posted by: Cujo | May 11, 2008 at 03:42 PM | Report this comment
I cann't see this happening at all. I have nothing against owen, but realistically he's past his best and you cann't rely on owen because he's more often than not injured.
Posted by: richard | May 11, 2008 at 04:24 PM | Report this comment
The current unsettled Spurs centre forward Berbatov would be the ideal player for Man U. His presence as the spearhead of an attacking United team would allow Rooney and Ronaldo to play in their best positions of right and left sided attacking midfield players.
Posted by: pip | May 11, 2008 at 05:46 PM | Report this comment
i thought rooney was supposed to be a preditor in the penalty area.if he does go then so be it but ashley will have to push some serious cash keagans way to replace him
Posted by: BCHOP | May 11, 2008 at 08:15 PM | Report this comment
How can someone criticize the choice of Michael Owen as a Manchester United player? He sure isn't the player he used to be but he is certainly dangerous in the penalty box area and still got great pace. Receiving passes from any player from ManU makes you even more dangerous. If Carlos Tévez can double his production since West Ham, Owen certainly can.
Being english is a plus. Manchester used to be England's Team and the addition of Owen make one more englishman in the team.
Great move if it happens.
Posted by: SebastianHarker | May 11, 2008 at 10:35 PM | Report this comment
simple.... owen will go for the money!!!!
Posted by: Adam Stocks | May 12, 2008 at 08:45 AM | Report this comment
Micheal Owen, a sensation to england a gift for viewers a icon for to the game.He has the best striking value a strkier can dream of not to mention his skills,talent,flair and to name a few.I think he should really get a chance at OT because you all know how leathel he was at liverpool,how catastrophic he was and can be eventually.The only thing which i think ended his dazzaling skills were sad and continous injuries.A point should be noted for all of you if you consistentely get injured you lose your touch you just lose your game, same happened with owen.I think he should be given a chance because the main strker inside of him is yet to shine and come out which only be possible if he plays in a big club like united.
Anyway hope the best for mikey.........
Cheerz
Regards---king---
Posted by: King | May 13, 2008 at 03:17 AM | Report this comment
i think S A F should buy owen..
The England team will be better if he joined to united. other striker who better than cr7 should be
the better choices than owen.
Posted by: eqo | May 13, 2008 at 11:15 AM | Report this comment
we don't need Owen..he is a top striker but we need younger players...i will go for aguero or huntelaar...
Posted by: Tala's | May 13, 2008 at 10:31 PM | Report this comment
He could get twice that amount of money in America right now. The MLS teams have all seen sould out stadiums whenever Beck's is in town. If they could wrangle Owen it would mean millions in ticket sales and promotion of the league. The investment would be well worth it for any top market team like LA, New York or Dallas. Also, he's got the looks for an extended stay on American TV.
Posted by: gmyers | May 14, 2008 at 07:58 AM | Report this comment
would be good for england but its never gonna happen the main player united should sign this year in my opinion is Micah Richards. Evra, vidic, ferdinand, richards a perfect back four
Posted by: mat | May 15, 2008 at 02:35 PM | Report this comment
Owen deserves to go to Man United. Despite all the injuries he has gone through, he has proved that whenever he is fit, goals have always come his way. Let him GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!.
Posted by: John Lubweme | May 16, 2008 at 02:25 PM | Report this comment
GOD PLEASE, THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE WINNER IF THIS TRANSFER GOES THROUGH AND THATS NEWCASTLE!!!!!
Posted by: Born & Bred Manc | May 18, 2008 at 09:49 AM | Report this comment
Owen should be bought by Liverpool again. This is where Owen should have stayed, and should go back to. Combined with Torres and Gerrard, he could help lift Liverpool back to the top of the English league. But to go to Man u would be a disaster. They have too many top players already.
Posted by: J Clarkson | May 22, 2008 at 12:02 AM | Report this comment
as for me i dont see any need for fergie to go after owen,he should work on ronald and see if the guy could forget about his idea of playing in spain
Posted by: mario | May 30, 2008 at 04:30 PM | Report this comment