Newcastle join United in Owen chase

LONDON – Newcastle United have joined Manchester United in the chase for Michael Owen after the England striker was officially put up for sale by Real Madrid.

The Spanish club want 16 million pounds – double the price they paid Liverpool a year ago – but it was believed they would settle for 12 million. Newcastle manager Graeme Souness said: “Michael Owen is the sort of player that I want Newcastle to be linked with and the sort of player we have to be interested in.”Every club wants to have a striker who can get 20 goals a season every season and there aren’t many of them about.Owen, Mark Viduka and Nicolas Anelka are those sort of players.”But Owen’s agent Tony Stephens was understood to be scheduled to hold talks with Manchester United over the next 48 hours in a bid to set up a move to Old Trafford.The England striker is keen on linking up with Wayne Rooney under Sir Alex Ferguson, and moving back to his home in Cheshire.Ferguson, given the green light to bid for Owen, already has four international strikers at his disposal in Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha and Alan Smith.Madrid have said they would listen to offers for Owen after signing strikers Julio Baptista and Robinho.Owen has slipped to fifth in the pecking order behind the new arrivals plus Raul and Ronaldo.- Nampa-ReutersNewcastle manager Graeme Souness said: “Michael Owen is the sort of player that I want Newcastle to be linked with and the sort of player we have to be interested in.”Every club wants to have a striker who can get 20 goals a season every season and there aren’t many of them about.Owen, Mark Viduka and Nicolas Anelka are those sort of players.”But Owen’s agent Tony Stephens was understood to be scheduled to hold talks with Manchester United over the next 48 hours in a bid to set up a move to Old Trafford.The England striker is keen on linking up with Wayne Rooney under Sir Alex Ferguson, and moving back to his home in Cheshire.Ferguson, given the green light to bid for Owen, already has four international strikers at his disposal in Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha and Alan Smith.Madrid have said they would listen to offers for Owen after signing strikers Julio Baptista and Robinho.Owen has slipped to fifth in the pecking order behind the new arrivals plus Raul and Ronaldo.- Nampa-Reuters