Owen rejects move to Everton
2005-08-23 15:13
Liverpool - Real Madrid striker Michael Owen turned down a move to Everton, the across town rival of his former club Liverpool.
"We have been in contact with Michael and his advisers and unfortunately he doesn't see Everton as a team he would choose at this present time," Everton manager David Moyes said on Tuesday.
Owen, who spent the first eight years of his career at Liverpool, is likely to leave Madrid after they hired Brazilian forwards Robinho and Julio Baptista. Several English teams, including Liverpool, have been linked with a move for the England striker.
Everton has struggled to attract top players, even though they finished fourth in last season's Premier League to reach the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
The club plays at Villarreal on Wednesday needing to recover a 2-1 first-leg deficit if they are to reach Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 1970. That's one reason players aren't joining.
"I am trying to reassure fans I am in for most of the big names. We do have money to spend if the right players are available, but getting them in is the problem.
"We offered 10 million pounds for (Netherlands striker) Dirk Kuyt and that was rejected on Aug. 1 by Feyenoord."
Liverpool seems Owen's most likely destination if he returns to the Premier League, especially after Liverpool agreed to sell Czech striker Milan Baros to Aston Villa on Monday for about 7 million pounds.
- AP