It seems that Alex Ferguson of Manchester United has decided to sing Michael Owen on a free transfer from Newcastle United.
Michael Owen - medical at Manchester United
After only being linked with smaller clubs like Hull City and Stoke City until this time news today that Michael is taking a medical at Old Trafford, and that personal terms are almost agreed for the move.
The deal could be concluded as early as tonight, so the reports suggest. Manchester United’s swoop is a bold move after their failure to beat Real Madrid to the purchase of Lyon’s France striker Karim Benzema.
This would be an excellent move for Owen, 29, and if he can get some playing time for the Red Devils, and show the form he did not show at Newcastle last season, he could even get back into the England squad for the world cup next year.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker scored 10 goals in all competitions last season for Newcastle but failed to score a single goal from January, and wasn’t much help in assisting Newcastle avoid the drop.
The other way this move could go is that Michael continues to suffer from injuries and hardly gets a game at the massive club.
Ferguson has taken risks before on players of controversy but the player’s medical todasy will be no formality as the Manchester club will want toe nsure Michael is fit.
Owen had a terrible time at Newcastle and was hardly worth the money to the Tyneside club, with just 30 goals in 79 games over four years. That’s a total cost of around £1.3M for every goal scored.
But late reports on the deal suggest Owen will need to take a massive wage cut, and will essentially be paid for games played and goals scored at Manchester United.
Comments welcome.
37 responses so far ↓
1 RyanToon // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:11 AM
see ya MO you a ss hole
2 Toon Graeme // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Ed, You on fire this morning there mate!
Your bags all packed or has Mrs Harrison done it all
3 Macas35 // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Its a good deal for Man U, if Owen doesnt perform then he is a free transfer with relatively low wages, and if he does well then all the bonuses he gets will pay off. Personally I think its a good signing for them. Owen might have lost his pace but he is a goalscorer with the knack of being in the right place at the right time and will get lots of chances there, and the rest of the team will do his running for him. Our midfield was woeful last season but Owen was still top scorer, just he faded badly the second half of the campaign with injuries and loss of form. Its not his fault he was on massive wages and Shepherd broke the bank to sign him.
4 batty // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:23 AM
toon grame whens he going m8
5 dougnufc // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:24 AM
@ batty
he is going today
hope you have a great time ed!
6 Toon_Factor // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Guarantee Owen will be fit all next season and score over 20 goals!
7 batty // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM
dougnufc // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:24 AM
@ batty
he is going today
hope you have a great time ed!
<<< cheers m8 he did tell me his son neil is going to run the blog while he is away
8 batty // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Macas35 // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Its a good deal for Man U, if Owen doesnt perform then he is a free transfer with relatively low wages, and if he does well then all the bonuses he gets will pay off. Personally I think its a good signing for them. Owen might have lost his pace but he is a goalscorer with the knack of being in the right place at the right time and will get lots of chances there, and the rest of the team will do his running for him. Our midfield was woeful last season but Owen was still top scorer, just he faded badly the second half of the campaign with injuries and loss of form. Its not his fault he was on massive wages and Shepherd broke the bank to sign him.
<<<< agree with you there m8
9 magforlife // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:33 AM
It says more about Man U’s current predicament than ours, Ronaldo and Tevez out and Owen in? Has any of Fergusons scouts actually watched him this year? Just read that he cost us 41m in fees and wages, scored 30 goals in 4 seasons and none since January, not exactly value for money is it.
10 shrews mag // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Guarnteed injury free next season … he might even stop acting like an android in interviews if his team are winning … might even smile …
but … I hope he bombs and the mancs come 2nd in all competitions …
11 magpies1 // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Just a thought, they said that if every consortium wanted shearer then they would appoint him but still no appoinment, so maybe one of the potential buyers do not want him. not a good sign.
On the MO subject, I have always thought he has the ability to score goals, yes he has lost his pace but is a poacher and always in the right place at the right time.
I only disliked him because of his disgusting attitude and his unwilliness to help the team out.
12 Toon Graeme // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Magpies1 – on the shearer front, I think that if a consortium bids, say over the weekend, and want him in place as part of the bid, then something could happen.
Technically SHearer is out of contract with the club and could say owt he likes – but not one interview or anything.
Its sit wait and twiddle thumbs (again)
13 THE MAGPIE // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Knowing our luck he will be injury free all next season.
We will see whether Owen is finished as a player or whether it was our woeful team that was the key.
14 Ericles // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Good riddance to the little opportunist mercenary. Hope this means that, as he got away in July, we do not have to pay the shite any more money. Owen – you have made the history books as the worst deal ever done by NUFC and in the Premier League. Hope you are proud of yourself you waste of space traitor!
15 LoonyToony // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:53 AM
TBH Micky Gowen is a bloomin lucky little dip$hit.
Hes done nowt for us tbh over 4 season except cost us millions and millions.
He would have rather played for england when his club was calling, he happily picked up his over inflated wage packet which tbh….was a total disgrace.
if he performs well at manure then fair play to the lad..but why couldnt he do that for us?
Glad to see the back of him tbh and i hope he fails at Man utd.
Good riddance.
16 bowburnmag // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Lower than a snake’s belly.
I always stuck up for him and even towards the end I tried to be fair.
At least he’s given me every reason to really resent him now.
Little get will end up scoring a hatful over there, just watch.
17 Spitfire // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:11 AM
I hope we get a home draw to Man U in the Cup and Owen plays. And we can show our appreciation of the spineless little weasel – when he scores a hatrick against us (obviously). Maybe he will stop having a face like a smacked a rse now that he is with a big four club eh?
18 Ericles // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Just think – the little shite will never soil our shirt again. I can hear it now – “I have always dreamed of playing for Masturbatory United” says Michael Owen after landing his chopper in the ship canal.
19 ginkoh // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:21 AM
i hope this is the last time I see Owen news in Newcastle topic. He’s not our player anymore.
20 Dragonera // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Anyone else noticed that the quality of Man United’s signings have dropped significantly BOTH times Carlos Queros left? Ferguson has lost it. Owen is a rubbish player. He cannot create anything for himself and he is not even clinical anymore. Awful signing whether free or not.
21 Whumpie // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Only Fergie could pull off a deal like that. Little or no risk to him, and gives Owen the one thing he cares about: a shot at playing in another World Cup.
I don’t hate the guy – it’s not like he dragged our name through the mud like Barton – but I’ve lost all respect for him since he slunk away after the relegation. Four years, £41M of our cash, and not a word to say.
Gutless.
I also think Fergie may have trouble. Owen needs games to stay sharp, and I can only assume Fergie will use him as a squad player. But then I suspect Fergie’s thought of that and will get good value out of him. Dammit.
22 Geordiedoonsooth // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Don’t care where he goes good riddance to him
23 bowburnmag // Jul 3, 2009 at 12:10 PM
“I was uncertain that a Liverpool bid would be accepted in time and I wanted to play for a club who really wanted me.” – Back in 2005.
I’m sure there are some key words missing –
- wages
- pay
- ridiculous
- to
Add to quote where appropriate.
24 Widowmaker // Jul 3, 2009 at 12:30 PM
If true, this would be the first time I doubt Sir Alex in years.
25 stevep // Jul 3, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Owen averages almost a goal every other game – thats a pretty good return when he actually plays and is up there with Adebayor, Keane, Rooney, Berbatov, Drogba all of which would cost substantial money to buy and prob cost more in wages – Owen needs chances created for him and for the last few years has sat in a pretty p!55 poor Newcastle team , reckon he’ll do well at Manure if he can keep himself free of injury.
Saying that I’m not sad to see him go – he’d be terrible in championship and we’d end up getting no games or goals from him
26 stk85 // Jul 3, 2009 at 1:19 PM
i know that as a team we were piss poor last term, but if owen was dropped by us for a few gamesm then turns up at old trafford, bangs a few in, rediscovers england form, i think that for me will prove ne thing…. he was a complete mercenary who never really cared about us and came solely for the money.
on the other hand, our team, the morale, everything about our club has been absolutely sh*t since the souness days.
doesn’t excuse that as lub captain he never had the balls to talk to the media…. not once. actions speak louder than words mickey
27 Doocey // Jul 3, 2009 at 1:38 PM
I’m not going to be negative about Owen, best of luck to him and I can assure you, he’ll be a pretty big hit come season time.
28 bowburnmag // Jul 3, 2009 at 1:39 PM
I’m not sure how seriously most people consider such things when it comes to earning a living but he’s treading a fine line between Liverpool and Man Utd. He could end up being universally disliked. I’m sure his bank balance will be of some comfort to him.
Loyalty?
As long as there’s money it.
29 bowburnmag // Jul 3, 2009 at 1:42 PM
“in it”
I stuck up for the fella almost until the death.
But the last couple of games and the fact he’s sneaked off and away from relegation without so much as a peep and across the Pennines to those sh*tbags means he’s lost whatever respect I had for him.
But he’s likely to score plenty, which only heightens the resentment.
Little to$$er.
30 alder09 // Jul 3, 2009 at 2:00 PM
he just a t**t so much for club captain
he had the opportunity the last week on ssn to say i wud jus like to thank the fans for their support they have always stuck by me even when i was out for a full season jus about…i wud also like to say sorry for the relegation of the club
but noo tht was too hard for a man hu hadnt scored for wat 14 games and was still earning in excess of £110,000 a week
people like him really boil my blood
31 xfer // Jul 3, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Good riddance.
32 reillers // Jul 3, 2009 at 2:22 PM
I’ve never liked Owen, overpaid, lazy, a past it has been, living on reputation, who didn’t deserve his wage or the captaincy. He had no respect for the club, was more interested in being down with the horses then at the club where he was ALWAYS injured, and I always felt that he thought he was too good for us.
That said, Fergie’s not an idiot, he sees a player who can score goals, and he’s free, it’s a win, win sitution for them.
And knowing our luck, Owen will be injury free all next season, probably one of the top scorers. And because it’s Man U, he’ll work his ass off, there will be no free rides at Man U. If he’s not working, if he’s not playing well he wont be on the bench, never mind start, if Tevez couldn’t get a game then he’s very little chance of seeing anything other then the bench of the reserves unless he proves otherwise.
33 danuneek // Jul 3, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Macas35 // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Its a good deal for Man U, if Owen doesnt perform then he is a free transfer with relatively low wages, and if he does well then all the bonuses he gets will pay off. Personally I think its a good signing for them. Owen might have lost his pace but he is a goalscorer with the knack of being in the right place at the right time and will get lots of chances there, and the rest of the team will do his running for him. Our midfield was woeful last season but Owen was still top scorer, just he faded badly the second half of the campaign with injuries and loss of form. Its not his fault he was on massive wages and Shepherd broke the bank to sign him.
<<<< agree with you there m8
<<<<my view also. Spot on.
34 Rangerman // Jul 3, 2009 at 4:36 PM
What bugs me is the players that took us down will go to decent clubs, well most will anyway.
35 Rodzilla // Jul 3, 2009 at 8:30 PM
…yeah, me too Rangerman. I wish them all well apart from My Cologne.
What made me laugh was SSN interviewing Joe Kinnear about MO. As if he knew what he was like as a player! Mind you, I don’t think any of our managers had the pleasure over the last 4 years.
36 Aussiedave // Jul 4, 2009 at 4:51 AM
You watch Owen will score in excess of 20 goals next season for those wankers! He will be the signing of th summer. A 20 goal a season striker for 55k a week on a free, not bad in todays climate. Mind you he will get much better service than we ever gave him
What makes me sick is that Owen was never commited to the toon! he was club captain but was never willing to play when slightly injured, especially when we desperately needed him to perform.
I hold no grudge against him when he was seriously injured as these things happen, he tore an ACL and fractured his foot and he cant be criticsed for that, however not playing due to little knocks or slight calf strains is bullshit.
I guarantee you that if he has any slight strains or knocks next season he will play through the pain!
37 ian // Jul 4, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Knowing Owen’s agent he will probably slip in a ‘bench bonus’ which will earn Owen a small fortune.
It is terrible to think Owen is only 29 and his career has come to this.
Like I said before if he starts sprinting past players and leaping for the last touch again at Man Utd like he did at Liverpool I will be disgusted with him as he could have saved us, but didnt bother.
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