West Ham United: Could Michael Owen be on his way to Upton Park?
The Hammers are back in the big time and Big Sam is already making plans for the season ahead but could former England and Manchester United marksman Michael Owen be on his way to Upton Park?
West Ham legend Tony Cottee believes the Irons need to make a number of quality additions to the squad this summer and that Michael Owen should be on top of that list.
He told the Sun: "A new striker is a must but also a proven Premier League scorer would be ideal. Everyone talks about Owen's injury record but you know he guarantees reaching double figures in goals which would take the pressure off the rest of the players.
"I know the fans would be excited about signing someone of his calibre. It would send out a message the board want to be back the manager with quality."
You can see where Cottee is coming from. Owen is a free agent and everyone knows that he is a predator inside the box. However, I don't mean to cast aspersions here but, Susan Boyle has probably slept with more men than Owen has started and finished games in the past seven years!
Michael Owen in his prime was unbelievable. His pace was blinding and his finishing was deadly. We all remember his goal for England against Argentina and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. But even at Liverpool, the marksman never managed to score 20 or more goals in the Premier League.
Injuries have blighted his career but at 32 Owen still has time and the potential to roll back the years.
West Ham United, as you all know, is a great club. The fans are as passionate as it comes and if you are producing the goods on the pitch they will support you to the hilt. But if you consistently injured, sitting on the bench and picking up thousands of pounds in wages they will not be happy. Christ, how much did they shell out to watch Kieron Dyer breakdown repeatedly?
In the back of my head there is a piece of me that wants Owen to do well, stay injury free and bang in the goals. However, with his reputation for injuries it is always going to be a huge risk. Having Owen's winning experience around the club could be beneficial for the other players and Cole and Vaz Te could certainly learn from his movement in and around the box.
Every transfer is fraught with danger. You never know if they are going to settle in or really adapt to your style of play. But signing Michael Owen would throw up more issues than most.
On a pay-per-play deal, Owen could be worth the risk, but surely the Hammers would be better off signing someone younger and hungrier. Heerenveen's Bas Dost has been linked with the club and after scoring 32 goals in 34 games for the Dutch side this season £7 million seems like a bargain.
I would love to see Owen back at his best again. It's a shame to see a player with so much quality go to waste and I'm sure if he did stay fit he would get into double figures but would he even be tempted to leave his family home in the north west for the bright lights of London?
Whatever happens regarding Michael Owen, Upton Park is going to be a hive of transfer rumours over the next few months.
Calling all West Ham fans. Would you be happy to see Michael Owen arrive at your club? Does the former England hitman still have what it takes to succeed in the top flight? What areas of the pitch do you think Big Sam needs to improve and what names would you like to see at Upton Park? Whatever your views, we'd love to hear from you.
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