Spurs: Could Michael Owen end up at White Hart Lane?
Former England marksman Michael Owen will not have his contract renewed at Manchester United, but could he end up under Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur?
In his prime Michael Owen was one of the finest strikers in the game. He possessed blinding pace, instinctively knew where the goals were and was always in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately injuries have plagued his career and most of the past six years have been spent in the physio's room.
However, you never lose the knack of tucking the ball away. Owen will never gallop away from defenders like he once did, but he is smart enough to find space in the box and make even the best defenders look like school boys. If he can stay fit, Owen can still have a huge impact in the game.
Owen insists that he will not be plying his trade in the Championship next season nor will he hang up his boots, firmly believing that he still has what it takes to play at the highest level, but who will be willing to take a chance on him? Owen has made only 31 league appearances since joining Manchester United in 2009, scoring just five times. Sir Alex opted to use him predominantly in cup competitions. His overall career record at Old Trafford reads 52 games and 17 goals, which still works out as one in three. So who would want him? Step forward Harry Redknapp.
The Spurs boss has this uncanny ability to take players who are seemingly way past their sell-by date and wring every last piece of talent out of them. Look at Emmanuel Adebayor. Most people were prepared to wash their hands of the former Arsenal man following his less than successful move to Manchester City, but Redknapp was able to rediscover his hunger and drive and his goals and performances have been crucial to Spurs this past season. Even William Gallas has shone for Spurs this season.
At Portsmouth Redknapp gave players like Sheringham and Merson the chance to hit the heights one last time. Could Owen become the latest to star for Redknapp?
A move to Spurs would be a dream move for Owen. With the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon bombing down the flanks combined with the creativity of Modric and Van der Vaart, Owen could roll back the years at White Hart Lane.
His experience of big games could also help Spurs to the next level. Although he wasn't given a fair crack of the whip at Real Madrid, he still found the back of the net consistently at the Bernabeu, and he looked destined to break Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing goals record for England before injuries all but ended his international career.
However, there are plenty of teams rumoured to be monitoring Owen's situation. Stoke City and Everton, his boyhood team, are reportedly leading the fight for his signature, but QPR, West Ham, Aston Villa and West Brom are also thought to be in the mix. Stoke and Everton are in prime locations for Owen personally and the chance to play for the Toffees would be a strong pull for him, but if Chelsea lose to Bayern tonight in the Champions League Final then Spurs can offer him Champions League football. It's a no-brainer surely.
At 32, Owen has seen better days, but if he can stay injury free there's no reason why he cannot produce more golden moments. But will that be for Spurs or another English club?
Calling all Spurs fans. How would you feel if Harry Redknapp unveiled the signing of Michael Owen this summer? What do you think he could bring to the team? Would you welcome his arrival or would you prefer Redknapp to be looking at younger, hungrier strikers? Whatever your view, we'd love to hear from you.
