With Owen's contract running out..

[Happy Face]

Glad to hear Keegan is determined to keep hold of him....

 

Keegan has already seen enough of his skipper to assert that his talents will be crucial to future prosperity on Tyneside. He will ask billionaire owner Mike Ashley to make Owen, 28, an offer he cannot refuse and tie him to Newcastle for the rest of his career.

 

"I've already started to say to the club that we should be talking to Michael now; not next week, not next month," Keegan said.

 

"That's what I'll be urging the chairman [Chris Mort] and football secretary [Lee Charnley] to do. I only mentioned it last week because I could see this coming. Michael's not going to stop scoring goals or stop catching the eye and is going to be wanted by other clubs.

 

"I don't think that whatever finances are there we'll go out and get a player that's any better than Michael. That's the reason we should keep him and as long as he doesn't get injured again, Newcastle fans will see a player who'll grow into one of the greats here."

 

Owen's current contract, estimated to be worth £103,000 per week, is due to expire in June 2009 and Keegan is adamant the England international will continue to thrive for years to come following two injury-blighted campaigns. "I don't see why we should be looking all over the world for foreign players and trying to teach them how to play in the Premier League when we've got one who knows his way around and whose goal-scoring record is tremendous," added the former England manager.

 

"I remember Johan Cruyff saying to me once, 'when I'm playing well, Johan Neeskens is the soldier and I'm the general. If ever I had a day when I felt I was not playing well, I said to Johan 'you be the general and I'll be the soldier'. Michael has been both a general and a soldier since I've been here.

 

"You're seeing him now at his peak after his injury. Michael's vitally important to the club at the moment and hopefully for the future, too. So I'll do everything I can to keep him, but at the end of the day it'll be Michael's decision."

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/24/sfnnew124.xml

[Skirge]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

[Cronky]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

[Happy Face]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

I don't see how delaying could benefit us.

 

 

[Happy Face]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

Man City are keen.  At least Sven is.

 

 

[Troll]

Keep him.  He's finally starting to hit a run of form and keeping fit, with the right signings in the summer to help him out he could become a very important player for us.

[La Parka]

Cut our losses and get whatever we can for him this summer.

 

Or retrain him as an attacking mid and improve his game.

 

Who saw that coming!

[Robster]

Sell... this is Michael Owen we are talking about here and he has only had a couple of months with Keegan

Madness.

[Guest toonlass]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

Man City are keen.  At least Sven is.

 

 

 

Tell Sven its £23 million, not a penny less. If the swede still wants him, then let him go.

[Happy Face]

Keep him.  He's finally starting to hit a run of form and keeping fit, with the right signings in the summer to help him out he could become a very important player for us.

 

I think he's just finally fit.

 

I hate the term "Match fit" but it's certainly the first chance he's had to hit his stride at the club.

[La Parka]

Keep him.  He's finally starting to hit a run of form and keeping fit, with the right signings in the summer to help him out he could become a very important player for us.

 

I think he's just finally fit.

 

I hate the term "Match fit" but it's certainly the first chance he's had to hit his stride at the club.

 

I think Michael hates that term too. Remember his rant!

[Happy Face]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

Man City are keen.  At least Sven is.

 

 

 

Tell Sven its £23 million, not a penny less. If the swede still wants him, then let him go.

 

With a year left on his contract, and less than 40 games played in 3 seasons, we'll be lucky to get £5M.

 

With an extended contract and lots of goals next year, who knows?

[Guest toonlass]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

Man City are keen.  At least Sven is.

 

 

 

Tell Sven its £23 million, not a penny less. If the swede still wants him, then let him go.

 

With a year left on his contract, and less than 40 games played in 3 seasons, we'll be lucky to get £5M.

 

With an extended contract and lots of goals next year, who knows?

 

Exactly. But Sven is willing to throw silly money at players he wants. If he pays well we have loadsamoney. If he doesn't we still have Michael Owen

[Skirge]

Looks as though KK wants to keep him so thats all that matters really,he wants him to stay I am sure he will.

[Dr Venkman]

give him a new contract, since he's been up to full fitness he's been head and shoulders above all our other attacking players, a few missed chances but he's still scoring and at the end of the day thats what counts

 

edit - i accept he's not getting any younger but with the sharp end of his pace now gone anyway, what do we have to worry about apart from injuries? fair enough its a concern but he's had a good run of games recently and it seems like he might have finally turned a corner. also with his proven ability at playing the deeper role we know he's a LOT more adaptable than some would have you believe

 

i just dont think a club in our position should be wanting to offload a player as good as him, doesnt make sense to me

[Thespence]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

Man City are keen.  At least Sven is.

 

 

 

Tell Sven its £23 million, not a penny less. If the swede still wants him, then let him go.

 

With a year left on his contract, and less than 40 games played in 3 seasons, we'll be lucky to get £5M.

 

With an extended contract and lots of goals next year, who knows?

 

Exactly. But Sven is willing to throw silly money at players he wants. If he pays well we have loadsamoney. If he doesn't we still have Michael Owen

 

He has a release cause that makes him available in the summer & it is meant to go down in value, so last year it was £9 million, this summer it is meant to be £6 million.

[Happy Face]

Wait and see, we won't get that much back off him anyway so lets see what he can do from now until the end of the season and at the beginning of next..

 

I agree. Keegan obviously wants to bounce the Board into a decision, but the reality is that none of the big four want him, and clubs outside the big four will have trouble in both matching his wages and convincing him to sign.

 

Man City are keen.  At least Sven is.

 

 

 

Tell Sven its £23 million, not a penny less. If the swede still wants him, then let him go.

 

With a year left on his contract, and less than 40 games played in 3 seasons, we'll be lucky to get £5M.

 

With an extended contract and lots of goals next year, who knows?

 

Exactly. But Sven is willing to throw silly money at players he wants. If he pays well we have loadsamoney. If he doesn't we still have Michael Owen

 

He has a release cause that makes him available in the summer & it is meant to go down in value, so last year it was £9 million, this summer it is meant to be £6 million.

 

Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort has revealed Michael Owen no longer has a buy-out clause in his contract.

 

 

 

Owen joined United from Real Madrid for £17million in August 2005 but his career on Tyneside has been blighted by injury so far. There has been recent speculation about Owen's future but Magpies chairman Mort claims there is no chance he could leave for a low fee.

 

He said: "There was a clause in Michael's contract which allowed him to leave for a certain fee during the last transfer window and the summer before that as well, but that sort of clause does not exist any longer."

 

http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1145251,00.html

[Kimbo]

Despite the last couple of games i stand by what i said. 2 games does make a season and i just don't see him being a long term success here. Disappointed to see Keegan is desperate to keep him, hopefully the men upstairs and/or Michael himself take a different view.

[Happy Face]

Despite the last couple of games i stand by what i said. 2 games does make a season and i just don't see him being a long term success here. Disappointed to see Keegan is desperate to keep him, hopefully the men upstairs and/or Michael himself take a different view.

 

2 games?

 

He's scored 4 in 7.

[Kimbo]

Despite the last couple of games i stand by what i said. 2 games does make a season and i just don't see him being a long term success here. Disappointed to see Keegan is desperate to keep him, hopefully the men upstairs and/or Michael himself take a different view.

 

2 games?

 

He's scored 4 in 7.

 

Fair enough he played well in the Boro game aswell. But still this isn't enough to make me change my mind, i'll need to see a prolonged run of form to make me forget the previous 2 and a half years.

[johnnypd]

i thought keegan said contract renewals weren't even being considered for the time being.

[Happy Face]

i thought keegan said contract renewals weren't even being considered for the time being.

 

That was for shit players.

[afar]

I've not been a fan of Owen's since he came here, but I thought on Saturday he was terrific, hs work rate was sport on and I think he's really enjoying playing in this new position.

 

One thing you have got to say KK has done a great job on getting him back in the mood to play football again. I geniunely thought Owen had lost his desire, but he seems to be truely enjoying his football again and that's all down to KK.

 

If Owen keeps up this form and continues to knock in the goals I would have be more than happy if the club offered him a new contract. Although I have the feeling that he may be gone in the summer.

[afar]

i thought keegan said contract renewals weren't even being considered for the time being.

 

That was for s*** players.

 

I also thought Taylor was impressive against Fulham, hardly put a foot wrong, he's not the shit player some on here like to make out, he's young and a little too over eager on occassions but I truely believe if we let him go we'll regret it because I think he'll mature into a top centre half.

[Happy Face]

i thought keegan said contract renewals weren't even being considered for the time being.

 

That was for s*** players.

 

I also thought Taylor was impressive against Fulham, hardly put a foot wrong, he's not the shit player some on here like to make out, he's young and a little too over eager on occassions but I truely believe if we let him go we'll regret it because I think he'll mature into a top centre half.

 

I think he's pap.

 

His lap of honour and shirt donation after Saturdays game had me chewing my elbow.