Liverpool FC Forum

by **ivor_the_injun** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:22 am

Sounds like a joke of a deal to me.

Telegraph report

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.

Spanish acquisition: Michael Owen could soon be a Real Madrid
While Owen's future was sealed, the future of Arsenal's captain, Patrick Vieira, who has also being pursued by the flamboyant Spanish club, was still in doubt after it emerged that the deal to sign him had hit a snag over his salary demands but was not yet completely irretrievable.

Negotiations between Vieira's agent, Steve Kutner, and Real will not be completed in time to parade the Frenchman during either today or over the weekend when Owen is expected to be introduced to fans. However, despite reports that there would be no move for the midfielder, privately Real are still hopeful.

However, 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. Arsenal are understood to have offered Vieira a new two-year extension to his deal that would keep him at the club until he is 33.

Owen looks set to complete his medical in Madrid sometime today to join an astonishing forward line at the club which includes Ronaldo, Spain's captain Raul and Morientes. He will be re-united with England team-mate David Beckham as well as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and the Argentine defender Walter Samuel.

With the deal stalling over which Real player would be made available to Liverpool, the Spanish side are understood to have first offered the left-sided Argentine midfielder Santiago Solari. However, Benitez, who already has Harry Kewell in that position turned down the option.

The Liverpool manager could yet move to complete the signing of Real Sociedad's midfielder Xabi Alonso who was originally a target for Real Madrid at the start of the season.

Despite the confusion over his future, Owen's deal took less time to agree than Beckham's last year and the striker will go with the blessing of the rest of the Liverpool players, said his team-mate Jamie Carragher.

by **the great one** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:27 am

juan fran is better than nunez hes on the fringes of real madrid and will replace figo when he leaves and hes spain under 19 captain

by **ivor_the_injun** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:29 am

I still have no idea who this Nunez is. Real really have had the thumbscrews on us over this whole thing. I can't believe that from Morientes and Eto'o, we've eventually settled for a reserve team player.

by **LFC #1** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:30 am

yeh, juanfrna was being mentioned initially, maybe Real wanna keep him in that case is Nunez a reserve player or something. :angry:

by **ivor_the_injun** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:33 am

The Guardian are also now reporting this, with a little more detail.

Guardian report

by **Voices from Yates** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:52 am

I admire Owen in his superlative LFC days.
When England FC got him, they could really scare the World…..(5-1 LFC-GER)
However in his parting, he is leaving LFC and its fans a little short. He could have made it plain he was leaving a lot earlier. There has been too much gamesmanship.

Anyone who thinks REAL was "last minute" is extremely naive. This option and others, have probably been on the boil for months. I don't blame Owen for going(good luck Michael), Keegan and you were "Euro players of the year" .
You played class football and scared the livin' s*** out of many a defender. But this leaving is below you. Tell your Dad to get a new job!

Owen's style of negotiation has probably lost LFC major $$$.
WHY Michael? You could have left and LFC coulda been OK. Now it seems, you had us over a barrel. I'm sorry Michael, but don't expect any f*****' sympathy.
Goodbye and good luck ..Galactico..oh he's injured.

:angry:

by **ivor_the_injun** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:56 am

"We want your good striker player. His name all-a over the papers over here. Michaelo Owen, no?"

"We want £20m"

"No no no - we give you £10m and one of our midfield-a player. We a poor Spanish peasant club, you know"

"Okay - we'll have Morientes please"

"Ah - the thing-a eez, we accidentally play him in the Champion-a League"

"Ah right...okay, we'll have Eto'o"

"Ah yes...Eto'o...you can have him. I just tell him to get his bags..."

"..."

"..."

"...Hello?"

"Ah - hello. Who am I-a speaking to?"

"This is Liverpool Football Club. You were about to sell us that Eto'o?"

"Oh sheet? That was you? I'm sorry, I've just sold him to Bartheloan-ah."

"Oh f**king hell. Who can we have then?"

"Pick-a anyone you like"

"Anyone?"

"Anyone"

"We'll have Zidane please"

"except Zidane, Figo or Beckham"

"Er...how about Juanfran then?"

"Oh, sorry, I meant-a to say Juanfran as well. You no have him. He lazy good for nothing boy. I'd be cruel to give him to you"

"But that's your entire midfield - what f**king good is that to us?"

"No no no - we have beautiful midfield-a player Nunez."

"Who? Is he any good?"

"He beautiful, beautiful player. He the man of the match in both reserve games he's played. The best young player I've seen since (mumbles) Bruno Cheyrou"

"Fantastic - we'll take him then. So that's £10m plus this Nunez?"

"Excellent, excellent. I'll just count it out and send it over."

"Brilliant. Thanks a lot"

"OH NO NO COME BACK COME BACK THIEF!"

"Christ, are you okay?"

"Oh - I've been beaten and robbed. They've stolen a million pounds. Now I only have £9m. How will I buy the Michael Owen man now?"

"Hey that's alright, we'll take £9m."

"Oh you too kind. We admire your Liverpool Football Club for so long. I'd buy all of your players if only I could"

"Cool - we've got this Croatian and a couple of Senegalese if you're interested"

"Click........brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

"Hello? Hello? Madrid? Helloooooo...?"

by **the great one** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:59 am

nice one

by **stapo1000** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:00 am

f*cking quality. i just e-mailed to everyone i know. nice one

by **LFC #1** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:06 am

lol funny ******.

by **akumaface** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:20 am

Really good one. lol

Too bad Owen has to leave this way and that would make the LFC fans turn against him. He just ruined everything and no one will feel sorry for him to leave now. Really hope that Nunez guy is at least better than any right midfielder we have. Wait, we actually don't have any right now. I guess that would make him the best choice for that position. :;):

by **ivor_the_injun** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:33 am

The slight problem there is that Nunez is apparently a central midfielder.

by **akumaface** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:37 am

So, does that means Alonso is not coming due to the lack of funds we have?

? Maybe we could only settle for Garcia now.

by **ivor_the_injun** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:40 am

I actually have a horrible feeling Real are going to try and hijack the Alonso deal. Strictly speaking the proceeds from the Murphy and Owen deals should be enough for cover the bulk of fees needed to land Alonso and Garcia though.

by **A.B.** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:51 am

I'm going to be a bit more patient and see what really happens rather then believe what its reported in the papers,internet and on SkySports.

Liverpool FC Forum

Deal apparently done - Owen goes for £9m plus nunez

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