Owen is a confirmed Red Devil
Its confirmed, Owen will join Red Devil on a Pay-as-you-play deal. It was reported that Michael will take a pay cut from his £110,000 a week pay with Newcastle for a reported £50,000 per with but with massive performance-related bonuses which could take him close to his pay with the Magpies.
The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and England frontman completed a series of stringent medical tests and has signed a two-year deal with the Barclays Premier League champions.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told the official club website: “Michael is a world class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question.
“Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish.”
Michael Owen said: “I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him the next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment’s thought.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands.
“I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here. I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting at Carrington from day one.
“I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances”
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Michael Owen going to Manchester United?
There is a report by the website, www.independent.ie, that Michael Owen might go to Manchester United on a free transfer. His signup with MU is with the condition that Owen can prove that he is truly fit.
Michael is without a club since his contract ended with relegated Newcastle end of June 2009.
I for one would like to see Owen be given a chance to be what he used to be, a striker that produces goals. It will be sad if he ended up with some lowly Premier League club. Eveyone believe Michael Owen thrived in the spotlight with clubs that are top flight.
You can read the full article in the website link above.
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Sunderland hasn’t decide on the Manager
Sunderland are playing a waiting game in their search for a new manager.
Wigan Athletic have told Steve Bruce he is free to talk to the Black Cats after initial contact was made to discuss a compensation package.
However, the Wearsiders are yet to take up the opportunity to meet the 48-year-old as they consider the financial implications of a move which could cost them between £3m and £5m.
In addition, they are understood to have received a deluge of applications for the post vacated by Ricky Sbragia within minutes of Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat by Chelsea as results elsewhere ensured the club’s continued presence in the Premier League.
Chairman Niall Quinn admitted at the weekend that he had not even heard of some of those who had put themselves forward for the job when Roy Keane resigned in December.
However, there are several high-profile candidates this time around and while Bruce is among them, the cost of easing him out of Wigan means his appointment is far from a certainty.
For those reasons, no decision is imminent and the search seems certain to go on into next week.
Bruce remains a hot favourite with the bookmakers, with Ladbrokes quoting him as a 2/7 shot at the head of a field which also includes Gordon Strachan, Slaven Bilic and Sven-Goran Eriksson, with Croatia coach Bilic also figuring high in the betting for the job vacated by Strachan at Celtic, where Tony Mowbray is the man for the bookies.
Quinn, backed by new owner Ellis Short, is determined to recruit a big name to build the club’s profile once again – they were catapulted into the headlines at home and abroad when they managed to recruit Roy Keane in August 2006 – and more importantly, establish the club in the top half of the Barclays Premier League.
Sunderland stayed up by just two points at the end of last season having targeted a much better return, and with Short once again funding a summer recruitment drive, they will hope to banish fears of relegation once and for all.
However, the Irish-American billionaire had insisted he will not spend unnecessarily having been dismayed with some of the signings the club made during the last close-season, with Pascal Chimbonda and El-Hadji Diouf lasting only six months at the Stadium of Light.
It appears that value-for-money approach will extend to the hunt for a new manager too with the Black Cats weighing up the cost of a compensation package which could colour their decision.
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Will Alan Shearer take up Newcastle offer?
Newcastle United were still attempting to finalise a deal to secure Alan Shearer as their manager on Friday afternoon.
Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias are keen to come up with a package which will persuade Shearer he will have the tools for the job.
However, until agreement is reached, supporters will have to remain patient in anticipation of what will be a crucial decision for the club’s future.
The club has already started to lay off staff – around 150 employees, many of them part-time, had earlier been informed their jobs were in jeopardy.
Shearer has already provided Ashley – whose Sports Direct International business on Thursday sold its directly-owned stake in JJB Sports for a small profit – with an outline of how he would want to approach the job.
He has explained how he would revamp a squad which proved ill-suited to the task of retaining Premier League status, despite a massive wage bill.
Any new manager would have to substantially reduce expenditure on salaries, which currently amounts to more than £70m.
Some big earners will inevitably leave as they look elsewhere for football at the highest level, although the prospect of cashing in on £10m striker Obafemi Martins if the club chose to do so would be hampered by a lingering groin problems which requires further surgery.
Others may have to stay if Newcastle cannot find buyers.
But if Shearer retains the job, the chances of controversial midfielder Joey Barton remaining on board are minimal.
The 26-year-old, a £5.8m signing from Manchester City, has been injured for much of his time at St James’ Park. He has also served a term in jail for common assault and affray, but it was his stand-up row with Shearer in the dressing room at Anfield after he was needlessly sent off in a 3-0 defeat by Liverpool on May 3 which proved the final straw.
Barton was banned from the training ground for the closing weeks of the season, and there is little appetite to see him return for pre-season training on July 1.
It is understood Shearer would look to offload him and his £60,000-plus-a-week wages as a matter of urgency.
Meanwhile, Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique admits he will have to consider any offers which come his way after enduring the longest year of his life.
The 23-year-old Spaniard, who has three years remaining on his contract, expects to resume his career in England in the Coca-Cola Championship following the Magpies’ relegation, but will look at his options.
He told Spanish Sports daily Marca: ”No-one likes to play in the Championship, but I’m only thinking about fulfilling my contract. The team has a great budget and I am sure that if they do things well from the beginning, we can create a team of the level of Aston Villa.
”I like the city and I am very happy in England, but that doesn’t rule out that I will study any offer that could arrive.Today, I see myself playing next season at Newcastle. At the moment, I’m focused on my holidays. It was a bad time for me and I need to relax. It’s been the longest year of my life.”
Whoever does eventually take over will have to drastically re-shape a weak, but expensive squad in an attempt to return to the top flight at the first attempt.
That is certain to mean high-profile departures, but Enrique is confident Shearer is the right man for the job.
He said: ”We have had four coaches this season, and there have been times when we haven’t even had a coach.
”Things have been bad since the first moment, but I hope everything will change for the best.
”I believe that with Alan Shearer on the bench, this change is possible.
”Since September, we could already see that it was going to be an uphill struggle for us.
”There were many big names in the dressing room, but something wasn’t working. There were many bad things from the beginning.
”We only won seven games the whole season and that, for a club like Newcastle, is very bad.
”If they leave Shearer in place, things will change for the better. He is a coach that can do something great for Newcastle, and they have to give him time.
”I think that if they let him work on a long-term project, he can do something very good for this team.”
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Manchester United is 2009 Premier Champion
Manchester United have won the Barclays Premier League title after a goalless draw with Arsenal.
The point gained means nearest challengers Liverpool cannot catch United who have one fixture left to play.
In a lacklustre first half, Robin van Persie went close for the Gunners and Wayne Rooney headed off target for United.
Cristiano Ronaldo went closer to scoring after the break with a free-kick while Cesc Fabregas smacked the post.
However, United only needed a draw to clinch their 11th Premier League crown and celebrated wildly at the final whistle.