The long-awaited Ashes cricket series hasn’t even begun and already football’s big spenders are starting to dominate the headlines.
The big summer sale? Michael Owen, by the look of it. Though the former Liverpool striker has said he wants to stay with Real Madrid, where he registered the highest goals-per-minute ratio in La Liga, word is that Chelsea’s limitless resources are set to attract the 28-year-old back to the Premiership.
The man who scored an England hat-trick against Colombia three weeks ago openly admits he isn’t getting enough starts at the Bernebeu — and with Chelsea apparently still unhappy with their over-staffed striking department, Owen has been spotted looking for houses uncomfortably close to the brand new, state-of-the-art Chelsea training ground in Cobham, Surrey, just outside London.
He even looked at Scott Parker’s old house in Oxshott. Ironic that. Like Owen’s feelings about Real, one-time England contender Parker felt he wasn’t getting a fair crack under Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge following his £10-million move from Charlton two years ago.
Owen, who married his long-term girlfriend Louise last Saturday, was picked up by a limousine from the Heathrow Hilton and headed straight out to view eight luxury Footballers’ Wives mansions on Monday morning.
One of the guests at his wedding told the Daily Mail: ”Everyone was talking about his move to Chelsea.” His agents, SFX, are denying everything. But then, they would.
With Real on the verge of signing Brazilian striker Robinho from Santos for £13,7-million, Owen may find himself fourth in line behind Ronaldo and Raul. But Chelsea also have a surplus up front.
Dutch-reared Serb Mateja Kezman has moved on to Atletico Madrid for £5,3-million and a rant about how few opportunities he was given by Mourinho but Milan’s Andrij Shevchenko is a known Roman Abramovich fan. And let’s not forget they’ve already got Eidur Gudjohnsen and Didier Drogba and the rest.
Owen scored 13 goals in 35 appearances for Real but with Brazilian Wanderley Luxemburgo in charge, Robinho and Ronaldo are likely to get the nod next season.
So far the Stamford Bridge side have only signed Spanish fullback Asier Del Horno, for £8-million, after their first championship triumph since 1955. Chelsea are ‘informally” offering £14-million, Real are ”informally” asking for £17-million.
Arsenal, FA Cup winners and Premiership runners-up, have landed Belarus midfielder Alexander Hleb, who should twist a few commentators’ tongues next season, in a £7-million deal with VfB Stuttfart.
Hleb spent five years in Germany and can also play up front, where Dennis Bergkamp is getting no younger. Robin van Persie, Arsenal’s controversial young Dutch star, has been released after two weeks in a Rotterdam jail following allegations of rape, but his future remains uncertain.
Arsenal will offload Stuart Taylor to Aston Villa for four years, a mystifying decision in the light of the obvious lack of a long-term goalkeeper at Highbury. Jens Lehmann remains first choice but Taylor, an England under-21 international, looked an obvious successor.
Pint-sized former Millwall boss Dennis Wise, now 38, has joined relegated Southampton, the club that will welcome the motivational talents of England’s Rugby World Cup winner Sir Clive Woodward next season. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, with boss Harry Redknapp, Wise and Woodward providing a potent mix of expertise and eccentricity.
The good news? Wimpy referee Andy D’Urso, always too easily bullied by Roy Keane and the like, has been dropped by Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the organisation that vets England’s top whistlers.
No news? Robbie Keane, despite copious sulks and toy-from-pram throwing incidents, is apparently staying with Tottenham. He says: ”I can assure Spurs fans that I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’m very happy and settled.” The Republic of Ireland international was wanted by Everton and Manchester City. Everton are now likely to turn to Andy Johnson, the top English marksman in the Premiership last season, who is likely to leave Crystal Palace now they’ve been relegated.
Arsenal and Chelsea remain quietly determined to sign former great Ian Wright’s adopted son Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City, but at £20-million, it may take a while. He’s certainly the best young English player in the country right now.
The best news? Reunion waster — sorry, winger — Laurent Robert has been fined £60 000 for calling his Newcastle boss Graeme Souness ”stupid”, among other things, in a major piece for The Sun on Tuesday. He then got the same fine again on Wednesday for telling the news-paper Jermain Jenas was likely to leave St James’ Park soon.
Robert went to Portsmouth on a one-year loan deal at midnight on Thursday. If he’d waited until Friday before lashing out, he would have saved himself a total of four weeks’ wages. Now that is stupid.