Uncle Buck
Ghost Writer
- Jul 7, 2003
- 28,075
Owen on verge of move to Madrid
Morientes set to move in other direction
Dominic Fifield in Graz
Tuesday August 10, 2004
Michael Owen was last night on the verge of leaving Liverpool after 13 years at the club with Real Madrid hopeful of completing his cut-price transfer by the weekend.
The England striker is close to joining the ranks of galácticos at the Bernabeu in a deal which is likely to cost the Spanish club no more than £10m, with talks understood to have commenced between the player's representative Tony Stephens and Real in Spain last night. Rafael Benítez is expected to pursue Fernando Morientes in exchange to swell the transfer's overall value to nearer £25m.
Yet that will be of little consolation to Liverpool. Owen's prospective departure will end a tortuous six months of on-off contract negotiations which saw him continually reiterate his desire to remain on Merseyside yet tellingly fail to agree a new deal at Anfield.
The 24-year-old's current contract expires next summer and, with Liverpool due to play their Champions League qualifier against Grazer AK this evening, his procrastination prompted the club to demand a formal response at the weekend. With interest from Real confirmed, they have been forced - if reluctantly - to put the striker effectively up for sale.
If Benitez plays Owen tonight, he would be cup-tied from European competition this season, potentially making him less attractive to suitors - Madrid and Barcelona among them - willing to pay a transfer fee and, as a result, more likely to walk away on a free transfer next summer. Owen travelled with his Liverpool team-mates to Austria yesterday and trained at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium last night. His father Terry, who normally travels with the side, did not make the trip.
"Michael is on the list of players [available for selection], but we will see tomorrow whether he is to play or not," said Benítez last night. "I'd rather not talk about his future until after this match." The Spaniard's squad did not include Danny Murphy, who is close to a £3m move to Charlton. Last night Spurs ended their interest in Murphy and the midfielder is expected to be joined at The Valley by Arsenal's striker Francis Jeffers in a £2m deal.
Liverpool expect to recruit the Spanish international Xabi Alonso from Real Sociedad and Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips and the suspicion remains that they are losing the Merseyside heartbeat to their side. Owen may never have commanded the adulation on the Kop granted Steven Gerrard but he has still become synonymous with the club, not least in its worldwide marketing campaigns of recent years. Benítez must also now convince Gerrard, the club captain who was on the verge of leaving for Chelsea this summer, that Liverpool are still moving forward.
Benítez had been ambiguous in his assessment of Owen's situation before leaving for Austria yesterday. "If we have to do something, it's better to do it," said the Spaniard. "When I arrived at this club I knew Michael wanted to stay here. A month into the job and I knew Michael was very happy here. He likes the way we train, the way we run things, and the way we operate. He's happy. As for me, I like good players.At this moment, Michael will go with the team [to Austria]. He's a player I can use if I want to for this game."
Yet Owen's immediate future will only really be clarified when the Spaniard hands in his teamsheet for tonight's first leg "At Valencia I'd only tell my team who was playing about 30 minutes before kick-off, and they'd take bets as to who was playing," he added. Few will be betting on Owen remaining at Anfield for much longer.
Barcelona were initially considered the likeliest destination but the Catalan club are intent on recruiting Samuel Eto'o and had set a deadline of midnight last night to complete that signing. For their part, Madrid would rather sell their interest in the Cameroonian - who has developed a habit of scoring against Real in recent times - to a foreign club. They boast Raul and Ronaldo as their first-choice strike force but, having loaned the youngster Javier Portillo to Valencia for the season, they have only Morientes in reserve.
Benítez, while at Valencia a year ago, tried to take Morientes on loan but the Spanish striker instead played for Monaco last season. Even though back at Madrid, he had been expected to depart again before the new La Liga season.
For Madrid, the appeal of Owen - who is still England's premier striker - is clear. Although his stock may not be what it once was, his goals tending to come in erratic spurts, he has mustered 158 goals in his 297 appearances for Liverpool He will cost the Spanish club relatively little, and his marketability will fit in with that of his fellow galacticos.
Morientes set to move in other direction
Dominic Fifield in Graz
Tuesday August 10, 2004
Michael Owen was last night on the verge of leaving Liverpool after 13 years at the club with Real Madrid hopeful of completing his cut-price transfer by the weekend.
The England striker is close to joining the ranks of galácticos at the Bernabeu in a deal which is likely to cost the Spanish club no more than £10m, with talks understood to have commenced between the player's representative Tony Stephens and Real in Spain last night. Rafael Benítez is expected to pursue Fernando Morientes in exchange to swell the transfer's overall value to nearer £25m.
Yet that will be of little consolation to Liverpool. Owen's prospective departure will end a tortuous six months of on-off contract negotiations which saw him continually reiterate his desire to remain on Merseyside yet tellingly fail to agree a new deal at Anfield.
The 24-year-old's current contract expires next summer and, with Liverpool due to play their Champions League qualifier against Grazer AK this evening, his procrastination prompted the club to demand a formal response at the weekend. With interest from Real confirmed, they have been forced - if reluctantly - to put the striker effectively up for sale.
If Benitez plays Owen tonight, he would be cup-tied from European competition this season, potentially making him less attractive to suitors - Madrid and Barcelona among them - willing to pay a transfer fee and, as a result, more likely to walk away on a free transfer next summer. Owen travelled with his Liverpool team-mates to Austria yesterday and trained at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium last night. His father Terry, who normally travels with the side, did not make the trip.
"Michael is on the list of players [available for selection], but we will see tomorrow whether he is to play or not," said Benítez last night. "I'd rather not talk about his future until after this match." The Spaniard's squad did not include Danny Murphy, who is close to a £3m move to Charlton. Last night Spurs ended their interest in Murphy and the midfielder is expected to be joined at The Valley by Arsenal's striker Francis Jeffers in a £2m deal.
Liverpool expect to recruit the Spanish international Xabi Alonso from Real Sociedad and Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips and the suspicion remains that they are losing the Merseyside heartbeat to their side. Owen may never have commanded the adulation on the Kop granted Steven Gerrard but he has still become synonymous with the club, not least in its worldwide marketing campaigns of recent years. Benítez must also now convince Gerrard, the club captain who was on the verge of leaving for Chelsea this summer, that Liverpool are still moving forward.
Benítez had been ambiguous in his assessment of Owen's situation before leaving for Austria yesterday. "If we have to do something, it's better to do it," said the Spaniard. "When I arrived at this club I knew Michael wanted to stay here. A month into the job and I knew Michael was very happy here. He likes the way we train, the way we run things, and the way we operate. He's happy. As for me, I like good players.At this moment, Michael will go with the team [to Austria]. He's a player I can use if I want to for this game."
Yet Owen's immediate future will only really be clarified when the Spaniard hands in his teamsheet for tonight's first leg "At Valencia I'd only tell my team who was playing about 30 minutes before kick-off, and they'd take bets as to who was playing," he added. Few will be betting on Owen remaining at Anfield for much longer.
Barcelona were initially considered the likeliest destination but the Catalan club are intent on recruiting Samuel Eto'o and had set a deadline of midnight last night to complete that signing. For their part, Madrid would rather sell their interest in the Cameroonian - who has developed a habit of scoring against Real in recent times - to a foreign club. They boast Raul and Ronaldo as their first-choice strike force but, having loaned the youngster Javier Portillo to Valencia for the season, they have only Morientes in reserve.
Benítez, while at Valencia a year ago, tried to take Morientes on loan but the Spanish striker instead played for Monaco last season. Even though back at Madrid, he had been expected to depart again before the new La Liga season.
For Madrid, the appeal of Owen - who is still England's premier striker - is clear. Although his stock may not be what it once was, his goals tending to come in erratic spurts, he has mustered 158 goals in his 297 appearances for Liverpool He will cost the Spanish club relatively little, and his marketability will fit in with that of his fellow galacticos.
