Michael Owen wants to go home. Real Madrid want him to go home. Newcastle simply want him and have offered a club record £16-million to end their Premiership drought. And in World Cup year, England’s leading goal-scorer finds himself in limbo.
The man himself says he wants to stay at the Bernabeu but would be happy to return to Anfield if he can’t play in the first team ahead of Ronaldo, Robinho, Raul and Julio Baptista. He’s offered to spend a year on loan at St James’s Park, if necessary, because ”I can’t be out of the first team with the World Cup coming up”. But it looks like Liverpool are reluctant to spend more than the £8-million they sold him for just more than a year ago.
In a remarkably frank assessment of his predicament, Owen said: ”My ideal situation would be to start the season with Real; if not, I would prefer to return to Liverpool. But if the transfer cannot be finalised, I have agreed to go to Newcastle — but only as a one-year loan deal.”
Owen was reduced to playing in a practice match against Real’s youth team on Wednesday, which featured former Leeds defender Jonathan Woodgate, who has yet to play a competitive game in Spain.
Owen, now fifth-choice up front in Madrid, is clearly trying to force the hand of Liverpool chairman David Moores, who knows the red-clad fans would love to see a return of the prodigious son.
Anfield boss Rafa Benitez, his reputation now boosted by last season’s shock Champions League success, continues to show interest in Bolton’s Greek winger Stelios Giannakopolous and he says he wants a centre half too.
But Liverpool fans feel neither Djibril Cissé nor Fernando Morientes are up to the job of scoring the goals that would make Liverpool clear contenders in a season likely to see big-spending Chelsea run away with things again.
Graeme Souness, with just one point to show for three games in the Premiership so far after Wednesday night’s 2-0 defeat against Bolton, says: ”I don’t think a loan is an option. He is not in a position to make that decision. We have made a record offer; it is up to him. I am always confident; he knows what we can give him.”
So Owen looks like he’s going to join his old England strike partner Alan Shearer this season, playing for a goalless club with only pointless promoted clubs Wigan and Sunderland beneath them.
And Liverpool, through to the group phases of the Champions League, unlike neighbours Everton who were robbed 2-1 at Spaniards Villarreal on Wednesday, will have to survive without their favourite son.
Chelsea must be laughing. They could buy Owen, Ronaldo and Robinho — and mansions all round. But they don’t need to. Three games in and after Frank Lampard’s double in the predictable 4-0 win against West Brom, the champions are already top.
Arsenal, 4-1 winners over Fulham — with Thierry Henry scoring twice — are just a point adrift of their north London rival Spurs, who lie second after their 0-0 draw at Blackburn.
Henry’s return to form was perfectly timed. After the lacklustre 1-0 defeat against Chelsea last Sunday, the Gunners grumblers were rumbling in the Highbury library.
Henry scored twice to put himself one adrift of Ian Wright’s record of 185 Arsenal goals.
Manager Arsène Wenger said: ”I have watched the Chelsea game three times on video and I still believe the difference was a lack of belief rather than a difference of quality.” It may also be a huge gulf in spending.
The shock troops? Stuart Pearce’s Manchester City, with seven points from three games and currently on an 11-match unbeaten run, which is better than anything they’ve achieved since the 1970s.
Manchester United, two wins in two Premiership games, will be there too, of course, but they were concentrating on beating Hungarians Debrecen 3-0 to reach the Champions League group phase.
Which leaves Liverpool and Newcastle wondering how to keep up.
Newcastle have yet to score this season. Liverpool have one league goal and have let striker Milan Baros go to Aston Villa.
The key to the season for these two great clubs, even at this early stage, could well be Michael Owen.
The head says Newcastle and so does the Real Madrid bank manager. But the heart says Liverpool.
Watch this space. I’ll be watching the cricket.