Transfer Rumours - Michael Owen

There have been lots of histrionics this summer about Newcastle and their penchant for signing strikers to contracts featuring release clauses. Both Oba Martins (£13m) and Michael Owen (£9m) have clauses if actioned could see them join another club.

Like Arsenal.

Much of the talk this week has centred around Obafemi Martins joining the club. Gooners will still remember the forward masterclass Martins put on with Inter Milan when they beat us 3-0 at Highbury. I have never before or since see a forward overpower Kolo Toure. Of course we were able to then destroy Inter Milan at the San Siro 5-1 to return the favour. But not forgotten was the display that an 18 year old striker put on against one of the strongest and quickest defenders the Arsenal have ever employed.

His 17 goals in 33 appearances for the club was a rather decent beginning to life in English football. He even recorded a strike of 84 mph (135 km/h), or the ninth hardest shot ever recorded in football beating sp*rs 3-2 in January at Three Point Lane.

Michael Owen is a different kettle of fish entirely. At £9m he represents very good value for money particularly as an English striker (see Darren "£16.5m" Bent for details). Although he is on obscene wages at Newcastle, Owen is a winner and a proven goal scorer at every level he has played. That is to say that if he were offered the opportunity to join a top four club in England that he would almost certainly not demand the level of salary he currently enjoys at Newcastle.

Owen is also in the prime of his career and represents the closest player I can think of in English football to Ian Wright. A player we have never really replaced in spite of the great success with Henry and Bergkamp. Arsene Wenger is long thought to be against including this sort of player within the Arsenal system but that is untrue. Francis Jeffers is testement to that. And with Owen available for less than what Jeffers cost many moons ago I'm quite certain that Wenger has considered making a bid for the England striker. In fact, word around the campfire is that Wenger had Owen scouted at the recent England "B" match last month.

TRANSFER POSSIBILITY RATING - 4/10

With or without Owen, Van Persie and Adebayor are going to be our first two strikers this coming season. Michael Owen would certainly complement the group including Nicolas Bendtner, Theo Walcott and perhaps Carlos Vela. But he would be at best the number 2 striker. Would this be attractive to Owen? I think so. He'll be confident of starting most games and would probably love to work with Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas.