Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has signed Michael Owen on a two-year contract. The striker was out of contract, so no transfer fee is involved.>>manutd.com
Sir Alex Ferguson said: "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."
A deal that began life as a fanciful rumour, quickly became a serious story and less than twenty-fours is later is confirmed as a done deal.
For Owen, this is a great move. After an injury-marred spell at Newcastle, it looked as though Owen's options would be seriously limited. Now, having signed for the most attack minded side in the Premier League he has the chance to get his career back on track, and importantly, has the chance to really force his way back into Fabio Capello's World Cup thoughts.
It is an interesting move from Alex Ferguson and United. No doubt there will be a view that after losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, and then seeing rumoured target Karim Benzema head to Real Madrid it is nothing more than a bargain basement signing.
The potential for this to be a success is huge. A two year contract does not tie United in to too long a deal if things don't work out. Owen does have a goalscoring ability that is rare at the top level and should complement United's attacking threat (even without the departed Ronaldo). Yet his time at Newcastle cannot be dismissed. Not only has Owen struggled though the past couple of seasons with injury, but there is a suspicion that he could be a spent force. Whilst reports are suggesting there is plenty left in the Owen tank, it would have been interesting to see the reaction had he landed at Hull or Stoke, where I'm sure he would have been immediately written off.
What Owen does now have is effectively a one-year shot to get his career back on track with the carrot of a World Cup at the end of it. It may not quite be a do or die situation, but should he fail he surely won't get another opportunity such as this one.
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