If Owen doesn’t want to join a particular club after we have accepted a bid then he will stay and
Posted in General on 07. Sep, 2010
If Owen doesn’t want to join a particular club after we have accepted a bid then he will stay and fight for Real. Real Madrid confirmed last night that they had received a second offer from the Premiership for the 25-year-old, who was omitted from Wanderley Luxemburgo’s squad for the first time, against Cadiz, on Sunday and spent yesterday in talks with officials from both Anfield and St James’ Park.
Madrid have agreed a fee of about £16m with the Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd but Liverpool, currently not in a financial position or frame of mind to match that sum, are believed to have proposed a season-long loan with a view to a permanent £8m transfer next year.Owen’s stated preference for a return to Anfield over a one-year loan at Newcastle has increased Liverpool’s conviction that they will sign the player on their terms before the transfer deadline tomorrow night, although Madrid have indicated that they will be happy to keep the forward if they deem the approach unacceptable.The Real vice-president, Emilio Butragueno, revealed: “We have received two bids from England, one of which has been accepted already The other will be discussed by the directors today. Following weeks of courtship by Michael Owen, and much soul-searching as to whether his affection can be reciprocated, Liverpool have finally joined Newcastle United in the official pursuit of the perplexed England striker. The 28-year-old, who starred for South Korea in the 2002 World Cup, is likely to be first-choice left-back ahead of Erik Edman.. His mind may be changed if Spurs raise their bid.The PSV Eindhoven defender Lee Young-Pyo was yesterday undergoing his medical to join Spurs after the two clubs agreed a fee of £1.35m. His transfer, on a four-year deal, should be finalised today once a work permit is secured. “We have not given much thought to the offer made by Tottenham because we are not interested in selling Lucarelli,” he said.
Despite those sentiments it is understood the 25-year-old may move in January. Spurs have also had a £2m bid for Chelsea’s Carlton Cole rejected and are waiting to see whether their £3m offer for Cristiano Lucarelli, the Livorno striker who was the top-scorer in Serie A last season with 24 goals, has been accepted by the Italian club.The Livorno president, Aldo Spinelli, insisted yesterday that the 29-year-old was staying at the club. “The feeling was not good, at the last moment, to leave such a beautiful and fantastic club,” he said. Having sold Fr?ric Kanout?o Seville, and with Mido suspended after his dismissal against Chelsea and the highly-rated Moroccan Mounir el Hamdaoui injured, they were delivered a severe blow on Sunday evening when they were informed that their No 1 target, Dirk Kuyt, is staying at Feyenoord.Spurs have had two bids rejected for the Dutch international, who is wanted by a host of Premiership clubs, but were expected to secure his transfer.However, yesterday Kuyt issued a statement on the Feyenoord website that he had “taken a definite decision” to stay for now. His contract runs out then but Spurs have an option on a two-year extension.Spurs are also desperate to bring in a striker. Negotiations over the 22-year-old England midfielder remain delicately balanced, but his arrival at White Hart Lane is rated as “very possible”.
However, the deal may still depend on who Newcastle United bring in to improve their own squad – especially after their poor start to the season.
Any additions areunlikely to include Robbie Keane with the two clubs planning a straight cash deal for Jenas and the Irishman having informed Spurs that he wants to stay and decide his future next summer. For Owen too, the move will give him regular first-team football as the World Cup finals approach, and that will be of immense comfort to England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.. Tottenham Hotspur are expected to complete the £8m signing of Jermaine Jenas before the transfer window closes at midnight tomorrow. Newcastle’s latest coup is reminiscent of their £15million capture of Shearer back in July 1996, and a similar return on their investment this time around would be welcome with Souness’ side having collected just one point from their first four Barclays Premiership games this season without scoring a single goal.
Owen’s future has been the subject of intense speculation for months, and that grew on Sunday when he did not even make the bench for his side’s opening La Liga fixture in Cadiz. There have even been hints the striker could bide his time at the Bernabeu Stadium until the January window with the latest transfer deadline looming tomorrow night. Reports today suggested Owen was returning to Liverpool for further talks amid speculation his former club had finally made a formal approach, although with the Reds unwilling to spend significantly more than the £8million for which they sold him to the Spanish aristocrats last summer, Newcastle had gained the upper hand. But Real’s need to raise cash to help fund their bid for Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos and Newcastle’s insistence on a permanent deal meant that was not an option.