English Angle: Michael Owen to Manchester United - A Riches To Riches Tale

This time last week, Michael Owen's cheesy dossier had done the rounds and he was left to ponder whether he could really see himself at the small fish biting most furiously – Hull City and their ambitious-but-mental gaffer Phil Brown.

In the early part of the week, the legendary perma-crock, most recently seen in fleeting glimpses on Tyneside with Newcastle United, was still hoping that the tentative interest being shown by more illustrious pair Everton and Aston Villa would turn into a concrete offer. By now, there wasn't any doubt that the striker was consigned to taking a huge pay cut in order to continue playing at the top level. Olympiakos had also emerged as an intriguing overseas option.

By midweek, Owen would have been playing the waiting game. Hull veteran Nicky Barmby was heard making an open plea to Owen. Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers gaffer Sam Allardyce summed up the probably conclusion of the rest of the Premier League, saying, "Unfortunately for Michael, if you look at his last three years, I can't take a gamble on that." Although he was being realistic, Sam might still do well to remember that Rovers took a gamble on him after he'd seen his career go south in the north east.

Then, on Thursday afternoon, someone found out something. The bookmakers had slashed the odds of Owen's next destination being Manchester United's Theatre of Dreams. 'Who's playing silly buggers?' most of us wondered. By the evening, it was being reported that 'tentative' talks had begun between Owen's representatives and United. Before midnight, sources suggested that, pending a medical, Owen would shortly be confirmed as a Red Devil.

On Friday morning, Old Trafford beaks refused to comment, although reports suggest that a contract has been agreed. A £50,000 per week deal has been mentioned, although so too has a pay-per-play scenario.

Either way, if this move goes through, it'll be one of the shocks of the summer –  and that includes Real Madrid's mind-boggling wheeling and dealing. Suddenly, when you drag Sir Alex Ferguson into the equation, the whole scenario takes on a different complexion. Is this actually genius in disguise, or is Optimus Prime a few nuts and bolts short of an Autobot, reacting unpredictably as he wages his battle to destroy the evil forces of The Decepticons (Real Madrid).

First, even if we're talking about a full English with 50k on the breakfast table every week, those kinds of wages are par for the course where United are concerned. It's a reasonable punt when you look at the betting slip, because when you take away all the nonsense, Owen has quality – top quality – somewhere amongst all the baggage.

Then there's the fact that, unlike the mid-to-lower-level Premier League outfits mentioned in connection with Owen, who need guarantees for that money and expectation level, United always find space in their squad for fringe men. Carlos Tevez didn't like the role – it insulted him. Owen, who can't guarantee an injury-free spell at his next club in any case, would likely be content to be rotated over the course of a packed fixture list.

Of course, Fergie has done this before. Teddy Sheringham came in as a veteran and helped to win United the Champions League ten years ago. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was always highly-regarded by his colleagues and the fans, walking around with a big smile on his face, despite his ongoing, persistent injury problems. Henrik Larsson, too, came in for a short spell and made a big impact. The Swede wasn't injury-free either, although he'd banged them in for fun during his time with Celtic, and came to Old Trafford with certain guarantees and a more up-to-date CV.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar signed as a veteran, with question marks all over him. Now, he's set a high benchmark for United's next No.1. Plus, the fans already have a good understanding of the way Ferguson uses his squad. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are free to flit in and out of the line-up, making an impact and using their experience where they can. Owen would have to fall into the category too, surely, even though he's only 29.

So, we've established that the notion of Owen moving to Manchester United may not be as crazy as it first sounds, but is it worth it? United surely have to splash out anyway, on the likes of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Luis Fabiano, if they want the necessary attacking punch in and around the box. Furthermore, Wayne Rooney will likely demand a more central role, whilst Dimitar Berbatov had a more worthwhile debut season, regardless of his price-tag, than most give him credit for. Perhaps Owen would just be cluttering up the dressing room for no good reason.

It could go either way: Owen could be a renaissance man, energised and flattered by the move. Or, he could continue to rot in the treatment room, providing off-field experience where there's already half a dozen players-cum-gurus wandering around Carrington. That is the nature of the gamble.

Greg Ptolomey, Goal.com

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