Owen no longer has get-out clause, say Newcastle

Simon Williams
Wednesday October 17, 2007
The Guardian

Newcastle United's chairman, Chris Mort, last night said that Michael Owen does not have a £6m get-out-clause in his contract as reports suggested that the Manchester City manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, was preparing an offer for the striker.

The England player's future at St James' Park has been questioned due to the fact that his advisors negotiated a clause which would have enabled him to leave for £12m at the end of his first season at St James's Park, and for £9m at the end of his second after he joined from Real Madrid for £17m in August 2005.

But Mort said: "There was a clause in Michael's contract which allowed him to leave for a certain fee during the last transfer window and the summer before that as well, but that sort of clause does not exist any longer. "

Manchester United's Ryan Giggs has signed a deal that extends his contract until the end of June 2009. The 33-year-old has played 727 matches for the club. Only Sir Bobby Charlton (759) has played more games for United.

"I am delighted to have signed for a further season. I am enjoying football more than ever and I hope to carry on playing football for Manchester United for as long as I can. I would like to thank Sir Alex Ferguson, the fans and everyone at the club for the great support I have received over the years."

Chelsea's midfielder Michael Ballack is still "a few weeks" away from returning to training, according to the German team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt.

Ballack has been out of action since April with a persistent ankle problem but Muller-Wohlfahrt said: "In close agreement with the English doctors, I think he will be training again in a few weeks."

Pascal Chimbonda could sign a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur next week. "We are in talks over a new deal," Chimbonda's agent, Willie McKay, said. "I have spoken to [Tottenham's sporting director] Damien Comolli about an extension for Pascal. Talks are going well and we are waiting until after the next match to try and conclude things."

Mikel Arteta's agent is not surprised by reports that Real Madrid are interested in the Everton midfielder. The Spanish club, along with Chelsea and Real Zaragoza have been linked with a January move for the player. "No one from Real Madrid has come to us. But it is normal that a great club is interested in Arteta because he is doing very well," said Inaki Ibanez.

Portsmouth's £3m midfielder Papa Bouba Diop has put club before country by opting out of an international friendly against Guinea and a Senegal training camp to rest a damaged hamstring.