Their pockets heavy from the $131 million sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United seemed in prime position to sign anyone they trained their sights on. And, with holes in the side left by both Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, it seemed like just a matter of time before United pulled a coup or two of their own.
But more and more, the big names on the European transfer market are setting their own sights elsewhere. Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery — both potential United targets — have both said that they wanted to play for Real Madrid.
So on Friday, United took an unexpected course of action. They signed the free agent England forward Michael Owen to a two-year contract.
Eight years ago, perhaps, when Owen was the European Footballer of the Year plying his trade at Liverpool, this would not have raised any eyebrows. But now, at age 29, Michael Owen the deadly striker is often overshadowed by Michael Owen the injury risk.
In the last few years alone, he has suffered groin, ankle, thigh, hernia, metatarsal and knee ligament problems, according to the BBC. And, in four seasons with Newcastle, he only made 79 appearances, scoring 30 goals — this from the player who was scoring 30 goals a season earlier in the decade.
It has been a long strange ride for Owen, who so dramatically burst onto the scene at the 1998 World Cup. His brilliant goal against Argentina in the second round still stands as one of the highlights of the tournament. His star continued to rise with Liverpool’s fortunes improving behind him. At the end of the Reds’ memorable 2000-2001 season, he single-handedly turned around the F.A. Cup final against Arsenal with two goals in the last 10 minutes.
Shortly thereafter, the injuries began to strike. They were not enough to dissuade Real Madrid from signing him in 2004, but his time in Spain was largely unproductive from an individual standpoint. He returned to England with Newcastle in 2005 where he excelled when fit, though those moments were few and far between.
His England career has also been waning of late, with Owen earning just one cap under current England Manager Fabio Capello. The move to United, however, could be just the thing to propel him back into the squad ahead of the 2010 World Cup. That is, of course, if he plays.
But United Manager Alex Ferguson seems willing to take a chance. It won’t exactly be costly if it backfires, though he does look like he is settling for a second-tier option after being snubbed by the cream of the crop.
Still, Ferguson has squeezed productive years from players with difficult histories before. Henrik Larsson, for instance, proved useful for United even after a year-long knee injury. The difference with Larsson is that the rash of injuries came much later in his career. For Owen, it has been the story of the last four years and there is no telling how it may have stunted his development as a player.
But if any manager can tap into the well of natural talent that Owen has shown in the past, it’s Ferguson. It is probably safe to say, though, that the hole left by Ronaldo is still gaping.
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