June 5th

Owen may be on England duty but he can't escape the transfer rumours

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Tuesday, 05, Jun 2007 12:23

The rumour mill keeps chugging along with some old rumours resurfacing and some new deals on the horizon.

Mark Viduka is getting ready to make the short trip from Teesside to Tyneside in a move that is likely to put a few Boro fans' noses out of joint.

But the more significant news from a Magpies point of view could be the rumour that Viduka's entrance at St James' Park may be an acquisition that paves the way for fellow striker Michael Owen to leave the club.

The England striker has been persistently linked with a £9 million departure because of a clause in his contract and Manchester United may look to add him to their growing list of big-money buys this summer.

United's title rivals from last season, Chelsea, have already captured Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro on free transfers this summer, so the substantial pile of money in Roman Abramovich's pockets is likely to be burning a hole soon.

As a result the Blues are apparently joining the race to sign attacking right-back Daniel Alves from Sevilla.

Alves would be a good fit at Stamford Bridge but Jose Mourinho will have to fight off the persistent interests of Liverpool and Spurs if they are going to land a replacement for the disappointing Geremi, who looks set to leave the club in this transfer window.

West Ham are also keen to trump Newcastle's offer for Joey Barton.

The player is available for what some may call a cut-price fee of £5.5 million (although others may say that is an expensive price to pay for dressing-room unrest) so the Hammers are keen to secure his signature with a substantial wage packet, rumoured to be upwards of £50,000 a week.

Other players linked to some of the Premiership's finest today include Leeds' Northern Ireland star David Healey, who may move to Fulham for just over £1.5 million; West Brom duo Paul Robinson and Jason Koumas going to Aston Villa; and Celtic's Czech international Jiri Jarosik awaiting an offer from Spurs.