Ashley wants Owen stay

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley insists he wants England striker Michael Owen to remain at the club.

Owen’s contract expires at the end of the season and he has been linked with Manchester City in recent weeks.

“We’d love Michael Owen to stay,” Ashley told The Sun.

“Newcastle want him to stay but we have to look at what we can spend when other clubs like Man City do not.

“The guy at City is about 1,000 times wealthier than me. I haven’t got his kind of money.

“If Man City want Owen, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Ashley also claimed that he will give manager Joe Kinnear funds to spend during the January transfer window.

“It is up to Joe, we have signed him, it’s up to him,” Ashley continued. “I’ve definitely got some money although whether I will give it to him or not is another question.

“Joe realises that Newcastle don’t have a bottomless pit of money so he will be very careful with what he does.

“If it’s a player that costs £30 million then I can absolutely say. ‘I don’t think so’.

“But will he able to get the players he wants to tinker with the team and change the balance? The answer’s yes.”

[Source: The Sun]