Newcastle agree fee for Owen

The future of Michael Owen, the England forward, is again subject to much speculation this morning with Newcastle United claiming to have agreed a club record transfer fee with Real Madrid for the player.

Earlier, Owen had seemed to hint that he would prefer a return to Liverpool, his former club, but might be prepared to join the Magpies on a season-long loan. Either way, it appears as though the 25-year-old's career at the Bernabeu is over after just one season.
 
"Newcastle United have met Real Madrid's asking price and conditions," said a statement on Newcastle's official website. "The agreed fee will be a record transfer fee for Newcastle United. It is now up to the player and his advisor."

The club's current record fee stands at the £15 million paid for Alan Shearer in 1996.

Owen was earlier quoted as saying: "I said that my ideal situation was to start the season in the Real Madrid team and if not I would prefer to return to Liverpool."

"The president understood and said he would try to help me achieve this. If the transfer cannot be finalised in time I have agreed to go to Newcastle United but only on a one-year loan. I need to be playing regularly in World Cup year."

Owen scored 158 goals in 297 games for Liverpool, before leaving the club for Madrid last summer.

Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, insists that his main priority is to sign a centre-back and already has Djibril Cisse, Fernando Morientes and Peter Crouch as his forwards.

"I want other players first, I am happy with my five strikers even now Milan Baros has gone," the Spaniard said after his side's 3-2 aggregate win over CSKA Sofia in the Champions League last night.

Owen scored 16 goals for Real last season despite being used primarily as a substitute behind Raul and Ronaldo, and with Robinho and Julio Baptista now on board his prospects of first-team football aren diminished further.

Newcastle are desperate to recruit a forward and have struggled through the first two games of the Premiership season with Alan Shearer on his own up front.

Owen revealed earlier this month he had held "brief dialogue with three or four Premiership clubs", and on August 8 the Freddy Shepherd, the Magpies chairman, admitted contacting Real Madrid with a view to a move. Later that day Antonio Garcia Ferreras, a  Real spokesman, claimed that Manchester United had also expressed an interest, a claim subsequently denied by the Red Devils.

Yesterday, David Moyes, the Everton manager, revealed that his club had spoken to Owen's representatives, but the player rejected a move to Goodison Park.