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Former England striker Michael Owen last night signed for Stoke, ending a four-month search for a new club since being released by Manchester United.
The 32-year-old has agreed a one-year deal after failing to re-ignite his career at Old Trafford during three injury-blighted seasons.
Owen was a free agent and able to sign after the transfer window closed last Friday. The former Liverpool forward made four appearances last season for United and has not played competitively since November.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have made no moves towards signing a free agent and appear to have settled with the strikers they have for the first half of the campaign, despite equipping Brendan Rodgers with no replacement for Andy Carroll.
Liverpool have ignored a number of strikers, including Owen, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Tuncay Sanli. That would leave Rodgers with two senior strikers and unable to call Carroll back until January.
The denial of Rodgers' request for Clint Dempsey is a result of the failure to adhere to the management structure agreed by the Fenway Sports Group when the Northern Irishman was appointed in June, rather than an unwillingness to spend.
One of the arguments made in defence of the decision not to pay Fulham's £7m asking price for Dempsey is that it will create greater spending potential in January. John W Henry's open letter to supporters also provided the latest of the owner's frequent communications about the club's determination to adhere to Uefa's Financial Fair Play -- an issue of deep significance to him.
Sports lawyer Daniel Geey, of Field Fisher Waterhouse, offered the view that Liverpool may be concerned about complying with FFP and that if clubs running up £100m losses -- Manchester City may be one -- find themselves excluded from Europe, those who comply may qualify.
Henry revealed to the 'Tomkins Times' website this summer that he had been told half of the clubs in the top divisions in Europe are losing money. (© Independent News Service)
