Keegan: Owen must be first summer signing

[Scottish Mag 3]

KEVIN KEEGAN will open crunch transfer talks with Newcastle chairman Chris Mort in the next few days.

 

And the United manager is “sure” the first outcome of that summit will be success in persuading Michael Owen to sign a new contract at St James’s Park.

 

But Keegan last night made it clear he expects serious cash backing to make five or six top quality, “statement signings” this summer, warning Mort and Magpies’ owner Mike Ashley . . .

 

“You don’t go to Harrods if you haven’t got any money.”

 

With Newcastle’s Premier League survival assured, the time has clearly come for Ashley to prove his ambition matches that of his manager.

 

“We need quality players,” said Keegan. “I still think we need five. There have definitely got to be five players coming in here.”

 

But the revitalised Tyneside legend admitted he is only now about to discover what sort of budget he will be given to go out and get them.

 

“I can’t answer that until I sit down with the owner and chairman,” he said.

 

“That conversation will start next week. I think the owner’s away at the moment but the chairman is here next week.

 

“But you don’t go to Harrods if you haven’t got any money. Or if you do, you don’t buy anything.

 

“It’s important to get quality. If you get quality players it makes statements. If you make statements, it makes people aware of your potential.”

 

And the first of those statements will concern Owen.

 

“That is the first big signing we have to make,” added Keegan. “I think it will be done. I’m sure it will.

 

“Michael is absolutely totally committed here. I see it every day in training and around the place.

 

“It sends a message that not only we are looking for quality, but if we have quality we want to keep it.

 

“There’s no point in bringing in quality and then selling players. We want to keep our best players and we want to attract others.

 

“The big message we are sending out is that we mean business.”

 

And although Keegan cannot offer prospective new signings the carrot of European football or a title challenge, he is convinced Newcastle can still compete for the very best this summer.

 

“I would be disappointed if the first thing I had to do was to convince a player to come.

 

“Most players will know that we get 50,000-odd fans every week and it is a fantastic place to play.

 

“If they don’t know they will quickly do what Obafemi Martins did when I came – and go on the Internet and find out who I am!”

[Tom 15535]

“But you don’t go to Harrods if you haven’t got any money. Or if you do, you don’t buy anything.

 

Classic Keegan

[ewerk 39291]

“But you don’t go to Harrods if you haven’t got any money. Or if you do, you don’t buy anything.

 

Classic Keegan

 

We're after David Healy!

[ewerk 39291]

“If they don’t know they will quickly do what Obafemi Martins did when I came – and go on the Internet and find out who I am!”

 

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

If this is the sort of clobber they sell, I wouldn't want anything from Harrods.