[lfc-news] Liverpool might gamble on Owen - Telegraph

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Daily Telegraph, 26 Aug 2005
Liverpool might gamble on Owen
By Christopher Davies in Monte Carlo

Though none of the parties were prepared to reveal their hand, Michael
Owen's return to Liverpool seemed to edge closer yesterday.

Newcastle appear to be out of the equation, though the club record bid,
believed to be £16 million, which was accepted by Real, raised the
stakes and would enable the Spanish club to double their money on the
England striker who left Anfield last summer.

Owen would only be interested in a one-year loan, effectively using
Newcastle as a match practice base for the 2006 World Cup finals, but
neither Real nor the Premiership club will countenance such a deal.

Rick Parry said that the European champions, who have made no formal
bid, "still had their fingers crossed", though the Liverpool chief
executive, in Monte Carlo for the Champions League draw, may not want to
break the Anfield bank to seal Owen's return, which the player admitted
was his preferred option.

"There has probably been far too much speculation," said Parry, who
rejected claims that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was not as keen on
bringing Owen back as the board.

"There has never been a situation between us and Rafa and it's always
encouraging when players say they want to join Liverpool."

Emilio Butragueno, Real's sporting director, virtually admitted Owen was
leaving Madrid though he gave no clue as to the striker's next
destination. "I shouldn't say anything. If I do maybe it will be
misunderstood, so I have to be very careful," said Butragueno.

"We must wait. We are very respectful, we will see what happens in a few
days. He's a great professional and we're happy with him, but I
understand his position as I'm a former player myself."

With Wednesday's transfer deadline approaching it looks like Owen has
two options - to stay with Real as an almost permanent substitute until
at least January or return to Liverpool if they can come up with an
offer acceptable to the Spanish club.

Any Liverpool bid could depend on the departure of Djibril Cisse. Gerard
Houllier, now manager at French champions Lyons, has made an inquiry
about the striker he brought to Anfield from Auxerre for £14 million
weeks before Benitez took over at Liverpool.

Houllier has money to spend following the sale of Michael Essien to
Chelsea for £26 million and wants Cisse to return to France and lead his
attack.

Benitez, meanwhile, was only concerned with tonight's Super Cup against
Uefa Cup winners CSKA Moscow.

"I'm thinking only about the game," he said. "For us, it's the chance to
win another trophy. It's not the right moment to talk about players."

Team news

Liverpool (probable): Reina; Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Warnock; Luis
Garcia, Xabi Alonso, Sissoko, Riise; Morientes, Cisse.

CSKA (probable): Akinfeev; A Berezutskiy, Ignashevich, V Berezutskiy;
Chidi, Carvalho, Gusev, Aldonin, Rahimic, Zhirkov; Wagner Love.

Referee: R Timmink (Holland).

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