Everton preparing to offer Michael Owen a contract this summer

May 9 2009 The Journal

ALAN Shearer’s hopes of keeping striker Michael Owen at Newcastle United suffered another blow after it emerged Everton are preparing to offer him a contract this summer.

With the 29-year-old refusing to put pen to paper on a new contract until the end of the campaign, it seemed a foregone conclusion the out-of-favour England forward would be playing his club football elsewhere next season.

But the arrival of his close friend and former strike partner Shearer as manager raised hopes Owen might be persuaded to extend his four-year stay on Tyneside – if the Magpies were to avoid relegation.

That is by no means certain with Monday’s home match against Middlesbrough set to have a huge bearing on both sides’ survival prospects.

Without Shearer at the helm or Premier League football to offer, Newcastle have no chance of seeing Owen in their number ten shirt again. But even if both were to happen, Everton would remain an enticing prospect to Owen, who supported the Toffees as a child.

With Brazilian Jo set to return to Manchester City at the end of his loan and Victor Anichebe’s Goodison Park future in doubt, David Moyes needs to bolster his striking resources for next season.

For long parts of the current campaign, midfielders Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill operated impressively as auxiliary forwards.

Moyes is determined not to leave himself as exposed again and knows with his side qualifying for the Europa Cup – a rebranded version of the Uefa Cup more

along the lines of the Champions League - the demands on them will be greater next season.

However, with funds severely limited, he will have to do his squad strengthening on the cheap. So Owen (pictured right), available on a Bosman signing, appeals.