Owen signs for Man Utd
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OWEN FOR OLD TRAFFORD?
Michael Owen has now been cut to evens to move to Manchester United this summer.
Sky Bet slashed Owen's odds of moving to Old Trafford to 7/4 from 20/1 on Thursday afternoon following sustained support for the England striker make the move.
And he was cut further on Thursday after more interest in the market.
Sky Bet's Mike Triffitt said: "With Real Madrid hoovering up several high profile targets, United are running out of options to fill the void left by the departure of Ronaldo and Tevez and Owen is a cheap option.
"We've had a steady stream of bets on free agent Owen joining United.
"A move to United should suit Owen, who wants to get back into the England squad and will feel he has a better chance with a higher profile club."
After Real Madrid seemingly beat United in the race to sign Karim Benzema on Wednesday, it seems as if Alex Ferguson's striking options are dwindling significantly.
Indeed, there was plenty of speculation in the Thursday papers that United might not sign a striker at all, and place faith in youngsters like Frederico Macheda and Danny Welbeck.
Given Owen's injury record and United's transfer kitty the move seems unlikely, but perhaps the punters know something we don't.
football365.
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oh my, I cant believe this, not cos it may happen, but the reality is, this is absurd, out of touch and figment of imagination.
now this is way too ridiculous tabloid journalism
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oh no, please, michael, please don't go man u. please don't go!
Liverpool needs u, Michael.
No man u!
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I rather make larsson come out of his football grave then get owen over. siao. waste of money.
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Sir Alex Ferguson is said to be ready to solve his striker crisis by sensationally offering Michael Owen the chance to resurrect his top-flight career.
United last night refused to deny reports that Owen’s advisers have been in talks with the Premier League champions, while bookmakers dramatically slashed their odds that England striker Owen is heading to Old Trafford.
There were even rumours that Owen has already signed a contract with United. It would represent a massive gamble for Ferguson because even though Owen is only 29, his injury record over the past four years has been poor and many believe he is past his best.
Owen is a free agent after his contract at relegated Newcastle expired on June 30 and United would be likely to offer him a low basic salary with more money to come, based on his appearances and goals.
But if a deal does go through, it will anger some United fans who will view former Liverpool hit-man Owen as a bargain-basement replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who sold Owen to Real Madrid in 2004, is understood to be reluctant to take him back, though Hull want him and Everton have also shown interest.
A move by United would be seen by many as an act of desperation after Ferguson suffered another disappointment yesterday when Frenchman Franck Ribery revealed he wanted to join Real Madrid.- dailyexpress (the world's greatest newspaper)
hmm according to some reports he is on the verge of joining... pending a medical. our other owen somehow passed the medical too... so if he really do join us.. let us jus pray that he don't get injured. i thk he is desperate to prove his worth again... and is also a proven goalscorer in the epl. a useful backup imo...
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well, now both ownes get a company when they are in medical room..pardon my pun..
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Lol if this move completes, it would be interesting to see how Owen will perform. However i rather Man Utd sign Martins instead.
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MICHAEL OWEN has agreed terms to join Manchester United.
The out-of-contract striker will take a 50 per cent pay cut for a shock last chance to rescue his injury-plagued career.
United boss Alex Ferguson contacted Owen, 29, on Tuesday and offered him £50,000 a week to join the champions - plus huge bonuses depending on appearances and goals.
But Owen must pass a stringent medical, which could take place as early as today, before United put pen to paper.
A source close to Owen confirmed: "It's incredible that one day Michael was contemplating a move to Hull and now Manchester United have come in.
"This is just the boost he needed and now he is hoping that everything can be agreed."
Fergie's shock move comes after United missed out on Lyon striker Karim Benzema, sold Cristiano Ronaldo for £80million and lost Carlos Tevez.
Owen, axed by England boss Fabio Capello, started his career at United's hated rivals Liverpool.
He became a free agent two days ago after his contract ran out at Newcastle.
But not in his wildest dreams could he have imagined Fergie would come in.
The only clubs being seriously linked with him were Stoke and Hull, while Everton were said to be weighing up their options and Greek side Olympiakos flatly denied any interest.
Owen's agents have tried over the years to get Fergie to bite and he has refused.
But he showed a flicker of interest in January and decided to wait to see how the summer transfer market unfolded.
United have bought centre-half SEAN McGINTY, 16, from Charlton for £500,000.
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wtf can't believe i'm reading this.
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I wouldn't mind him on the utd bench.
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does he still has the speed to go past defenders?
think saha
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Originally posted by marcteng:
does he still has the speed to go past defenders?
think saha
well, i don't think he has the speed like a Walcott, but his composure, and awareness should be there. I believe he played as midfielder (creative) when he was in Newcastle. so maybe, he can play aka scholes, but a faster version.
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Originally posted by iceFatboy:
well, i don't think he has the speed like a Walcott, but his composure, and awareness should be there. I believe he played as midfielder (creative) when he was in Newcastle. so maybe, he can play aka scholes, but a faster version.
He is 29 liao, the speed is no more there, but still fast enough I think, as he is not that tall and not heavy,s till quite a lightweight for his size.
if he comes to utd, i will be very surprised, considering he is ex reds. not many players from either side jumped ship and join, maybe Michael Owen is the first ex red to defect to Utd if he indeed join Utd
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Lol actually man utd could try signing L.Adriano, if he was to change back to the way he was last couple of years, he would be dangerous to lots of defenders.
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Why Signing Michael Owen Is A Really Good Idea
The Republik of Mancunia website has responded to the most remarkable bit of transfer news this summer with an article titled 'God No, Not Michael
Owen'. F365 makes the case for why United signing Michael Owen would be a really good idea...
* United require another attacker. To start the season with just two youngsters as support two recognised top-class strikers would be a risk too far. In comparison, signing Michael Owen on a free transfer is no risk at all. A proven goalscorer who is presumably joining United in the knowledge that he will start the season behind Wayne Rooney and Dimi Berbatov in the pecking order, Owen is the perfect fit for what United require.
Not incidentally, it was mostly from the bench that Owen scored his 13 La Liga goals during his single season at Real Madrid, ending the campaign with the league's highest ratio of goals scored to number of minutes played.
* Signing the 5ft 8 Owen would balance United's attacking options. Berbatov, Danny Welbeck and Macheda are all big 'uns while Rooney is the only little 'un. True enough, Owen and Rooney failed to dovetail convincingly on England duty but that potential problem may be irrelevant: Ferguson probably has no intention of playing them together.
* If it is true that he has agreed a pay-as-you-play deal with a series of performance-related bonuses attached then Owen has passed the first, pivotal test. With Everton reputedly ready to offer him a far-superior weekly wage of £65,000, Owen's willingness to accept the incentivised deal on offer at Old Trafford indicates that he still has the required ambition and hunger to succeed.
Furthermore, Owen has not only proved himself to the club's manager but also made his transfer a risk-free venture for the board to approve. Nor can the club's owners dissent: By joining on a Bosman free on knock-down wages, Owen's arrival would not conflict with the reported age limit of 25 imposed on new purchases.
* If those performance-related clauses aren't incentive enough, then the proximity of next summer's World Cup should be sufficient to a player who has lost part of his name. England's Michael Owen will be desperate to reclaim his place and his recall will only be possible if he makes a success of his first year at Old Trafford.
* Ahh, yes, the injuries. Don't you think that Sir Alex might be aware of them as well, though? Before signing, Owen will first have to sign a medical that is being universally described as 'stringent'. That should help allay a few of the doubts. Moreover, it is not as if Owen's body is fundamentally broken; he is not in recovery from a career-threatening knee injury or leg break. Instead, his career has been blighted in recent years by a series of annoying, inconvenient happenstance injuries - he missed the start of last season, for instance, with the mumps. And if there is one medical department in the world that is likely to put him on the road to recovery then it is in residence at Old Trafford.
* There are few more potent goalscorers in world football, never mind England. Even at Newcastle he continued to be prolific: the stat his critics fail to include when remarking disdainfully that he only started 58 league games for Newcastle is that he also managed to score 26 goals in that time.
* And that was when playing for a struggling team, sometimes in midfield, and as a poacher.
The retort to the argument that Owen's pace has gone is that it was going even before he joined Real Madrid and it is precisely because Owen has morphed into a penalty-box predator that he is such a viable acquisition for a leading club. In a side near the bottom of the table, a predator is a luxury because he has so little to feed on. In a side challenging for the title, as United inevitably will be, he is in his element.
* A former European Footballer of the Year with the experience of playing for Real Madrid, Liverpool and England, Owen will not be overawed by the pressure of playing for United. And as a native of the north-west, he'll have no problems settling in either.
* United have previously enjoyed bountiful success by signing strikers at the finale of their career - and the precedent set by Henrik Larsson and Teddy Sheringham will undoubtedly have been an encouragement to Sir Alex.
* The arrival of an Englishman will also be useful if FIFA succeed in bringing forward their plan to introduce a 'six plus five' quota.
* Owen loves the horses. In other words, he'll be the perfect companion for Sir Alex on the team bus.
* Liverpool fans are going to hate it if he joins United. Especially as the Law of Returning Players means he is absolutely guaranteed to score against them next season.
football365.
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Owen set to have medical at Old Trafford
Michael Owen looks set for a surprise move to Manchester United, after having a medical on his knee on Thursday. The striker will then have a full medical on Friday ahead of signing a pay-as-you-play deal with the Premier League champions.
The England international is without a club following the expiry of his contract with Newcastle United and it appeared only Stoke City and Hull City were interested in offering him a contract.
But now it appears Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to snap up a player who is fourth in the all-time goalscorers list for his country.
United have been searching for a new forward since the departure of Carlos Tevez at the end of his loan deal. They had been linked with the likes of Karim Benzema and David Villa, but now it seems Owen will be arriving.
The 29-year-old suffered an injury-ravaged time at St James' Park but still managed to score 10 goals as the Magpies dropped out of the Premier League.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker will be hoping a move to Old Trafford will push him back into the thoughts of England coach Fabio Capello ahead of next summer's World Cup finals.
United, meanwhile, have sent 20-year-old Brazilian-born midfielder Rodrigo Possebon on a season-long loan to Portuguese side Braga.
soccernet
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"pay as you play" deal, will that be a good bargain for us?
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Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:
Why Signing Michael Owen Is A Really Good Idea
The Republik of Mancunia website has responded to the most remarkable bit of transfer news this summer with an article titled 'God No, Not Michael
Owen'. F365 makes the case for why United signing Michael Owen would be a really good idea...
* United require another attacker. To start the season with just two youngsters as support two recognised top-class strikers would be a risk too far. In comparison, signing Michael Owen on a free transfer is no risk at all. A proven goalscorer who is presumably joining United in the knowledge that he will start the season behind Wayne Rooney and Dimi Berbatov in the pecking order, Owen is the perfect fit for what United require.
Not incidentally, it was mostly from the bench that Owen scored his 13 La Liga goals during his single season at Real Madrid, ending the campaign with the league's highest ratio of goals scored to number of minutes played.
* Signing the 5ft 8 Owen would balance United's attacking options. Berbatov, Danny Welbeck and Macheda are all big 'uns while Rooney is the only little 'un. True enough, Owen and Rooney failed to dovetail convincingly on England duty but that potential problem may be irrelevant: Ferguson probably has no intention of playing them together.
* If it is true that he has agreed a pay-as-you-play deal with a series of performance-related bonuses attached then Owen has passed the first, pivotal test. With Everton reputedly ready to offer him a far-superior weekly wage of £65,000, Owen's willingness to accept the incentivised deal on offer at Old Trafford indicates that he still has the required ambition and hunger to succeed.
Furthermore, Owen has not only proved himself to the club's manager but also made his transfer a risk-free venture for the board to approve. Nor can the club's owners dissent: By joining on a Bosman free on knock-down wages, Owen's arrival would not conflict with the reported age limit of 25 imposed on new purchases.
* If those performance-related clauses aren't incentive enough, then the proximity of next summer's World Cup should be sufficient to a player who has lost part of his name. England's Michael Owen will be desperate to reclaim his place and his recall will only be possible if he makes a success of his first year at Old Trafford.
* Ahh, yes, the injuries. Don't you think that Sir Alex might be aware of them as well, though? Before signing, Owen will first have to sign a medical that is being universally described as 'stringent'. That should help allay a few of the doubts. Moreover, it is not as if Owen's body is fundamentally broken; he is not in recovery from a career-threatening knee injury or leg break. Instead, his career has been blighted in recent years by a series of annoying, inconvenient happenstance injuries - he missed the start of last season, for instance, with the mumps. And if there is one medical department in the world that is likely to put him on the road to recovery then it is in residence at Old Trafford.
* There are few more potent goalscorers in world football, never mind England. Even at Newcastle he continued to be prolific: the stat his critics fail to include when remarking disdainfully that he only started 58 league games for Newcastle is that he also managed to score 26 goals in that time.
* And that was when playing for a struggling team, sometimes in midfield, and as a poacher.
The retort to the argument that Owen's pace has gone is that it was going even before he joined Real Madrid and it is precisely because Owen has morphed into a penalty-box predator that he is such a viable acquisition for a leading club. In a side near the bottom of the table, a predator is a luxury because he has so little to feed on. In a side challenging for the title, as United inevitably will be, he is in his element.
* A former European Footballer of the Year with the experience of playing for Real Madrid, Liverpool and England, Owen will not be overawed by the pressure of playing for United. And as a native of the north-west, he'll have no problems settling in either.
* United have previously enjoyed bountiful success by signing strikers at the finale of their career - and the precedent set by Henrik Larsson and Teddy Sheringham will undoubtedly have been an encouragement to Sir Alex.
* The arrival of an Englishman will also be useful if FIFA succeed in bringing forward their plan to introduce a 'six plus five' quota.
* Owen loves the horses. In other words, he'll be the perfect companion for Sir Alex on the team bus.
* Liverpool fans are going to hate it if he joins United. Especially as the Law of Returning Players means he is absolutely guaranteed to score against them next season.
football365.
Can summarise? LOl i lazy read too long.
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Originally posted by ViNnO:
Can summarise? LOl i lazy read too long.
Wa piangs, all in point form liao lei.
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Form is temporary, class is permanent.. Hell yeah its a good deal..
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Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:
Wa piangs, all in point form liao lei.
Lol summarise to 1 sentence. Max 16 words.
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Originally posted by ViNnO:
Lol summarise to 1 sentence. Max 16 words.
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any idea m.owen's squad number? 32?
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Originally posted by Pitot:
any idea m.owen's squad number? 32?
Lol dunno man. Might be.
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no le. ronaldo leave liao, maybe rooney takes the shirt no.7. then the shirt 10 gives owen.
dont forget owen is famous for shirt 10 de