The little striker is just returning after a lengthy injury layoff and immediately his future at Newcastle Utd has become the focus of the media spotlight, if he does leave is it possible that the prodigal son could make a dramatic return to Anfield.
At the moment it is all speculation by the media linking him to a move to Manchester Utd, but a fully fit Michael Owen would be a target for all the top clubs, but here lies the problem, has he left his injury plagued history behind him.
Will any club be willing to invest the money and take the chance, that they can rely on him to be able to play the majority of games in a season. It is a huge risk, even if he plays and stays injury free from now till the end of the season, because of his history, would many people be surprised if he broke down again at the start of next season.
If he is bought by one of the top four, that club will be taking a huge gamble, but if he has overcome his injuries nightmare and can stay fit then the club that signs him will have one of the most prolific and proven strikers in the history of the Premiership.
Its not hard to believe the media stories that Alex Ferguson is interested in the former Liverpool player, and a inform injury free Michael Owen playing at one of the top teams would once again become one of the top strikers in the Premiership, and Man Utd have other strikers in reserve should Owen become injured, so i think the media reports could have some foundation, so maybe Ferguson see`s this as a gamble worth pursuing.
Chelsea are always after players and sometimes its just about not letting the competition sign them, and Owen on form for one of the top four would be a threat to the Stamford Bridge outfit, but this threat could easily be nipped at the bud by signing him, and once again a fully fit Owen paired with Drogba would be an attacking force most teams would fear.
Arsenal are the team most in need of a proven goal getter, so i suspect they will be more interested in his medical reports than anyone. They need someone apart from Henry to spearhead their attack, everything else at the club is good but they just cannot put the ball in the back of the net. They could go for someone foreign or a young player but it normally takes a foreign player at least one season to adjust to the Premiership, i think its time for Arsenal to buy someone proven because as good as a team as they are, its time now to start winning silverware once again...the pressure is on Arsene for results.
The last of the four is Liverpool Football Club and by far the most complicated transfer destination for Owen.
Liverpool also need a prolific striker, as much as i rate Dirk Kuyt and as hard working as he is, he seems to better suited to setting up play and providing chances for other players than an all out goal getter, a 20 plus a season premiership scorer is what we need, Owen would fit that bill perfectly but there is a little bit of baggage to this grand reunion.
When Owen left Liverpool Fc, his exodus left a bitter taste in the mouth of many Liverpool fans. His reluctance to sign a new contract meant Liverpool were held to ransom when they were forced to sell him for only 8 million to Real Madrid with only months left on his contract. It was not all his fault Liverpool Fc should have sealed the deal earlier in the year or sold him in time for Benitez to replace him but still we were left starting the season one striker short because he seen the bright lights of Real Madrid and left his old club in the lurch .
Later that season it seemed like justice when we won the Champions League without him while he spent most of the season on the bench at the Bernabeu , but in his season at Madrid he eventually forced his way into the team and actually had the highest goals per minutes played ratio in La Liga that season, also that season he came through the season nearly injury free from playing less games so maybe Benitez`s rotation system may help with his injury problems.
All this would be a tough on Newcastle Utd who paid 16 million for a man who has only played eleven games so far for them but Owen will want to play Champions League football and there very little indication that he will get it at St James`s in the near future.
Owen has never endeared himself to the Anfield crowd in the way that Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher have done, but he has produced some great displays and created some great memories for Liverpool fans, the FA Cup victory over Arsenal in 2001 will always be the Michael Owen final.
So Liverpool signing Owen is not very straight forward, it will divide Liverpool fans but also Liverpool now have other options, Samuel Eto`o and David Villa are names that keep cropping up. They are the best that Europe have to offer right now, but it normally takes a season or two for these players to adjust to the Premiership or in some cases like Morientes they may never adjust to it. With Owen this is not a problem he was educated in Premiership and knows what it takes to succeed.
Owens history of injuries would be a huge gamble for any club, but a fit Owen would also be huge plus for any of the top clubs.
If he proves his fitness for the rest of the season, even as risky as it is i think one of the top four may launch a bid. Owen`s first choice would be a move back to Anfield, but sadly for him i think one of the other three teams are going to be more interested in him. Liverpool now have the resources they need to at last make a proper challenge for the league title and after so many false dawns its just too risky bringing the little striker back home.
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