Liverpool FC Forum

by **ckay** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 3:44 pm

He could go for £10 million

Madrid coach says Owen decision already made Aug 12 2004

By David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

MICHAEL OWEN is expected to become a Real Madrid player in the next 48 hours - but the switch is likely to be a cash-only deal.

Asked about Owen following last night's Champions League victory in Poland, Real coach Jose Antonio Camacho said: "I've heard that the decisions have been made."

Sources in Spain say Liverpool demanded £18m for the striker, (right), but they may have to settle for closer to £10m.

Reported makeweights Fernando Morientes and Samuel Eto'o both effectively ruled themselves out of a switch to Anfield last night.

Morientes came off the bench to score twice against Wisla Krakow - and is now cup-tied for the remainder of the Champions League programme.

And Camacho confirmed: "There are no plans relating to Morientes leaving the club." African Player of the Year Eto'o, meanwhile, is convinced he is heading to Barcelona.

In a letter published in the "Sport" newspaper yesterday, Eto'o said: "Today I feel like a Barcelona player.

"For reasons that have nothing to do with me the deal has been delayed for a few days, but don't worry because joining Barca is still my overwhelming desire."

The Reds, meanwhile, are furious by reports and pictures claiming Owen had been banished to train with the reserves yesterday.

An Anfield official said today: "It is rubbish to suggest he is some kind of outcast.

"Everybody started yesterday's session at the same time, but the players who played in Austria obviously finished a lot earlier than those who didn't.

" Because Michael didn't play in Graz, he carried on with the other players who weren't involved which is when the pictures were taken over the Melwood training ground wall.

"There was nothing sinister about it at all."

Owen ' s impending departure will finance a swoop for Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Alonso.

The 23-year-old was left out of last night's friendly against Basque rivals Osasuna, fuelling speculation that the deal could be close to completion.

There was still no comment from Anfield on Steve Morgan's reported takeover bid of the club.

Any such deal, however, would take five or six weeks to see through and would have to be accepted at an EGM.

by **The_Rock** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 3:58 pm

10 million......... i rather keep him.

by **parchpea** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:41 pm

Its the clubs own fault. They must get tougher. When will they learn. If you have 2 years to go then you sign on or you are sold, end of story. You are never going to get a massive fee for a player who can sign on with them in January for nothing. Madrid and Owen held all the aces in the deal. We have done well to get anything at this late stage.

by **ckay** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:45 pm

Whenwas the last time Liverpool actually did a good bit of business???

by **taff** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:47 pm

Kenny

by **madred** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:49 pm

Stan Collymore springs to mind as a good bit of business done by Roy Evans. Signed for 8.5 million and was sold to villa for 7 million. Considering Villa probably knew what a liability he was i thought the club did well to get that.

by **ckay** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:51 pm

madred wrote:Stan Collymore springs to mind as a good bit of buisiness done by Roy Evans. Signed for 8.5 million and was sold to villa for 7 million. Considering Villa probably knew what a liability he was i thought the club did well to get that.

Not bad!!!

by **anfieldadorer** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:58 pm

Heskey is sold for whatever price

by **A.B.** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:04 pm

Too cheap.

by **ivor_the_injun** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:07 pm

Hopefully I'll be proved wrong, but I have to say some of the Echo's reporting of this sorry affair really does leave a lot to be desired. Fine, LFC's valuation and what Real are prepared to pay is some distance apart as you'd expect, but from what I can tell the Echo have completely invented this £10m figure, which is obviously now being picked up by press all around Europe.

by **A.B.** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:56 pm

I don't believe anything Echo says. The other day they guranteed 10 million plus Morientes/Eto but did it happen? No, they are just drawing conclusions and twisting the real truth so they can sell papers.

by **ckay** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 7:45 am

Well it's now £8 million and Carlos Nunez!!!

by **anfieldadorer** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:31 am

simply unexpected outcomes

by **azriahmad** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:58 am

According the the Telegraph, Owen was sold for £9 million and Antonio Nunez, with a total valuation of £11 million only! That was the same amount for the washed-up Fowler...

Liverpool initially demanded £18 million but had to settle for much less as Owen could do a contract with Real in january 2005 and walk away a free agent. Here is an extract of the news:

Michael Owen will become Real Madrid's latest international galactico when he signs for the club today after Liverpool last night agreed a deal that will see them receive £9 million as well as the little-known midfielder Antonio Nunez in return.

Perez's deal to sign Owen looked like much better business for the Spanish side with Liverpool agreeing a deal that looks to be worth little more than around £11 million in total after attempts to get Fernando Morientes, Samuel Eto'o and the teenage sensation Juanfran all ended in failure.

Rafael Benitez agreed to take Nunez, 24, to play on the right side of midfield after the new Liverpool manager sold Danny Murphy to Charlton Athletic and lost the Czech international Vladimir Smicer to a serious injury.

As well as securing the deal for Nunez, Liverpool will also move to sign the Barcelona midfielder Luis Garcia, 24, for around £5 million though it was not clear last night whether that deal would be funded by the money raised by Owen's sale to Real.

While it was initially believed to be Juanfran, 19, tipped as the hottest young prospect at Real's youth academy, who would be joining Liverpool, it later emerged that it would be the much more prosaic Nunez who, despite having played more first-team football, is not rated as highly.

The deal was agreed by the two clubs as it became increasingly clear that Owen, 24, would not extend sign a new contract and would be able to leave the club on a Bosman free transfer when his current one runs out next July.

by **stmichael** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 11:47 am

For what it's worth, £10m is a good price for a player with one year left on his contract. He promised he'd never leave for free - and he won't. So we won't get £20-30m? So what - we got him for nothing as a kid (when he could have signed for the Mancs, who were courting him - even after he was with us at the Academy, the usual United underhand "incentives" were being offered). He liked Liverpool - the friendly club - and he liked the way Steve Heighway and his staff treated him. He showed fantastic loyalty then, as a boy, when you can bet your bottom dollar United - by then Champions of England - offered him more than we were (we've all heard the stories of Alex Ferguson turning up at young boys' houses with the proverbial bag of sweeties; that's not meant to make Sir Alex sound like a deviant, by the way, should any United lawyers be reading). Owen showed his loyalty again and again, by signing new contracts. Despite being the most-coveted striker in the world at times, he never left Liverpool in the past, when Liverpool were clearly not the best team in the land; the best club, we can argue, but not the best team. At times, we weren't even close.

Owen has given us nothing but his best, whenever his body has allowed him. It's a compromise. At present, there is - for the only time - parity between player and club. When a player is on a long contract, the club holds all the cards. When a player is at the end of his contract, he holds all the cards. At present, both hold an equal share of cards. The club are acting because, in four months' time, Owen will be in control. Decisions needed to be made, and Rafa doesn't want negotiations impinging on the start of the season.

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