(Image source - Daily mail)
It's that time of the year again, it's Christmas time but thanks to the global credit crunch, this festive period might not be as lavish as previous years. For most English football fans, the holiday season can be a make or break time - a plethora of games during the holiday season can be the difference between staying up or going down and for the top clubs, its the season of giving - giving fans hope for the championship or a place in Europe. No matter what road your teams travels down this festive period, one thing is certain January cannot come soon enough.
Alas, Owen has been linked to the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester - yes City has managed to link themselves to every possible player on the globe. Owen's a goal every other game strike record cannot be ignored but his crocked feet is something most suitors would like to ignore. Since his £16 million move from Real Madrid in 2005, Owen has played 60 games for Newcastle scoring a total of 29 goals but most of his time has been hampered by injuries. The former European player of the year is up for sale, better yet - he's available on the cheap for a paltry sum of £5 million on a £105, 000 a week contract. Bound to leave Newcastle during the summer for free, a winter transfer move for the diminutive goal poacher has got the pulses racing but the question remains, what clubs are queuing up and more importantly, which one of these can afford his enormous wage bill.
Chelsea & Liverpool:
Either club will be Owen's preferred destination though the latter would be a perfect homecoming to the club who made him a household name but is there really a place for him at the Kop. Stuck with a £20 million bench warmer in the mold of Robbie Keane along with golden boy Torres, Benitez might not be over thrilled by the prospect of an Owen return yet his goal record compared to that of Keane just might do the trick. Rumors about a possible departure of Keane to former club Tottenham looks more likely by the passing day thus the boy-cum-man might find himself among familiar pastures.
Speculation linking Owen to Stamford Bridge is stuff dreams are made up of.
Tottenham:
Ah, the magical wand of Harry Redknapp has no bounds. While Owen to Tottenham reports seem very unlikely, truth be told the North London club are on of a few who could afford his enormous wage bill even if he plays half the season - cue up Ledley King's new best friend. Owen would fit quite nice into Tottenham should the club employ a 2 man strike force. Also, he would be trading the metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear for the glitz and glamor of London - something Dennis Wise (Newcastle's Executive Director) can attest to.
Manchester City:
Following in the footsteps of Real Madrid by linking themselves to every football player on the globe, the Eastlands might be a possible destination for Owen. The world's richest club could easily afford hiw wages and if rumors are to be believed, he would find himself with a new set of galacticos - Robino, Kaka, Buffon, Villa, Jesus - you name it.
It might be a case of hardball for current club Newcastle but even the Geordie faithful have resigned to losing Michael Owen leaving them with Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins and the delightful Shola Ameobi. If i were a gambling man, a decent wager on Man City wouldn't be too far fetched.
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