Owen to join Newcastle

**gustavo** · 30/08/2005, 9:47 AM

England striker Michael Owen has agreed to join Newcastle from Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old will have a medical on Tuesday before signing a four-year deal with the Magpies, who are believed to have paid a club record �17m for Owen.

Liverpool were Owen's preferred choice but his ex-club were only prepared to offer the �8m they sold him for.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...em/4196760.stm

**carrickharp** · 30/08/2005, 10:02 AM

Thank fook that has been tied up getting tired of it at this stage.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 30/08/2005, 10:40 AM

It's also here

http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/n...Id=331963.html

Real will be very happy with the sale, a �9 million profit on a player who did a decent job for them but just didn't get enough chances to show what he could do.

Will be interesting to see how Souness shapes the team now. Luque doesn't want to be a winger and rightly so. I think he'll be out the door by Christmas (if not sooner) and leave a decent team in place for someone to take over. His purchases have been good and I think Boumsong has a lot more in him than the mediocrity that he's delivered so far.

**superfrank** · 30/08/2005, 11:11 AM

I'm just glad he didn't join Liverpool. I hate them!

**sligoman** · 30/08/2005, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by superfrank

I'm just glad he didn't join Liverpool. I hate them!

If you hate them then surely you would have wanted him to join them as he is another sh!t player to add to their collection?

**Colbert Report** · 30/08/2005, 11:33 AM

Seriously, how did his value more than double when he spent a year on the bench?? Unreal how English teams will overspend on English players.

**gustavo** · 30/08/2005, 11:39 AM

real madrid only paid half what newcastle paid for him last year because he had a year left on his contract and liverpool didnt want him to walk away for free hence the low fee.

**ciaran76** · 30/08/2005, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by gustavo

real madrid only paid half what newcastle paid for him last year because he had a year left on his contract and liverpool didnt want him to walk away for free hence the low fee.

Don't forget there was also some crap player Real got rid off too in the Owen deal last year

**declan hide** · 30/08/2005, 12:31 PM

in fact madrid must be laughing their arses off at liverpool. they take owen for next to nothing and make 9 million profit on him, get rid of nunez and sell morientes for a decent price. if i hear morientes is "class" one more time i will choke the person who says it.

**Roadend** · 30/08/2005, 1:11 PM

Morientes is class........ed as a good striker. Too right they shouldn't have bought him, they've other more important areas to worry about strengthening. At least It should give Souness another few months stay of execution. One thing about Newcastle, are they the next Leeds?

**Aberdonian Stu** · 30/08/2005, 1:29 PM

No.

They don't waste it the same way Leeds did with contracts guaranteeing huge salaries AFTER players left the club. Robbie Keane was still getting St�16k a week from them while playing for Spurs although I think he took a deferral or reduction when the trouble began.

There's also more income to be had, football wise, in Newcastle which means the spending sprees of Keegan/Dalglish could be coped with better than the likes of Leds. Geordies mightn't be rich but they plough dough into that club.

**ken foree** · 30/08/2005, 1:42 PM

if newcy's midfield can stay fit and on form - emre and parker in particular - they should be comfortably midtable. but there's no accounting for their central defense..

**Roadend** · 30/08/2005, 1:48 PM

Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu

No.

They don't waste it the same way Leeds did with contracts guaranteeing huge salaries AFTER players left the club. Robbie Keane was still getting St�16k a week from them while playing for Spurs although I think he took a deferral or reduction when the trouble began.

There's also more income to be had, football wise, in Newcastle which means the spending sprees of Keegan/Dalglish could be coped with better than the likes of Leds. Geordies mightn't be rich but they plough dough into that club.

Whatever way you look at it, NUFC outgoings are more than incomings. They've spent close to �40m so far this year with no CL football this year or the last few years. Basically it seems they are spending on the strength that you will be there regularly, which with their defence, will not happen.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 30/08/2005, 2:22 PM

Actually I think the spendingis more an effort to be their regularly. There's no doubt that this is a club that has spent an awful lot of money over the years without much reward but what I'm saying is that the club is in a far better position to handle such a financial burden than most other clubs.

**jockser** · 30/08/2005, 2:31 PM

Originally Posted by sligoman

If you hate them then surely you would have wanted him to join them as he is another sh!t player to add to their collection?

collection of european champions you forgot to add

**Superhoops** · 30/08/2005, 2:39 PM

He is injury prone. Dodgy hamstrings.

Newcastle won't get 30 games out of him. They havent got the squad to rotate their players. I fear it will all end in tears. I bet that Sven Goran Ericson is not too pleased as there is a good chance Owen will be crocked before WC finals next year.

**noby** · 30/08/2005, 2:58 PM

Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu

No.

They don't waste it the same way Leeds did with contracts guaranteeing huge salaries AFTER players left the club.

It wasn't a question of contracts guaranteeing that, but the club was cutting it's losses, and I guess the likes of spurs knew that.

As for Owen, his only motivation for moving is next years WC. He (or his agent) tried his best to manufacture a move to Liverpool, Man Utd., and Arsenal. Newcastle seems a last resort. Granted, if he scores a few goals, no-one will care, but will he still want to be there this time next year, I wonder?

**Aldini98** · 30/08/2005, 3:19 PM

Originally Posted by jockser

collection of european champions you forgot to add

Hear Hear, tossers have forgotten already !!!!!

CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE (still)

**4tothefloor** · 30/08/2005, 6:59 PM

Is it just me or can anybody else see how Owen is using Newcastle as a door mat? Basically, his move to Newcastle is a move of desperation. Initially he only wanted to go there on a season long loan, but with this deal that's exactly what he has got. He has a 12 month get out clause, and further get out clauses should Newcastle fail to qualify for the CL (which is gauranteed). I think it is, typically, a very dodgy transfer for Newcastle. If he does well for Newcastle, but is facing the UEFA Cup next season, he'll be off again.

His first choice was Liverpool. He met with Benitez and Rick Parry and was told two things. 1. Liverpool would not pay Real more than the �8m they sold him for, and 2. He was not gauranteed first team football at Liverpool - basically he wouldn't be the first choice striker as Liverpool will be playing with a target man. Following this, he realised the Liverpool move wasn't going to happen financially, plus he would only be slightly better off than he was at Madrid playing wise. So he chose Newcastle as they were the only other option. First team football in World Cup year - but that 12 month get out clause is there for a reason. This time next year, Owen will be the most hated man on Tyneside, and I'll put money on that....

It isn't really a coup for Newcastle, but a coup for Owen. How is losing �4m on a player next year, no matter how well he performs, a good deal? Think about it. Owen scores 20 goals for Newcastle, proves his worth in the premiership again, Liverpool/United/Barca come along at the end of the season and bid the �12m, thanks very much nice doing business with you Freddy! Newcastle are a bunch of morons, Freddy Shepard is King Moron. And you know Souness will still get sacked