SVEN-GÖRAN ERIKSSON said yesterday that he regarded £12 million for Michael Owen as an unmissable bargain. The England head coach also revealed that he would be delighted if the Real Madrid forward joined Wayne Rooney at Manchester United, but life is not that straightforward for Owen, who embarked on a training camp in Austria knowing that his future might not be settled for weeks.

Owen clings to the hope that Manchester United or Liverpool will take him back to the North West, but neither move is possible without outgoing transfers from Old Trafford or Anfield. Eriksson would be happy with either prospect but, in particular, he would relish the prospect of his two leading strikers in tandem every week.

“You can’t deny that it will benefit my job if Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen played together,” the Swede said. “From what I heard, it might be possible that United take him.”

The substantial hurdle (in addition to the presence of Ruud van Nistelrooy) remains the sale of Louis Saha, so a return to Anfield should not be dismissed despite Rafael Benítez’s claim that he has other priorities. He has plenty of strikers but, in Peter Crouch, Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cissé, not one that is almost guaranteed to score 20 Premiership goals a season. The Kop, and Owen’s former team-mates, would love to see him back in a red shirt.

Newcastle United hope that Owen’s other options collapse, leaving the striker to go to St James’ Park on loan, while there is also the possibility of the player remaining at the Bernabéu even though he may figure behind Ronaldo, Robinho and possibly Raúl — with Júlio Baptista, the £17 million signing from Seville, also available in midfield or attack.

Owen confirmed yesterday that the arrival of Robinho and Baptista had prompted informal negotiations with three or four Premiership clubs, although Arsenal and Chelsea are not among them. Arsène Wenger and José Mourinho do not believe that Owen is suited to their system.

“During my four days off, there have been two big signings and I can understand why this has resulted in speculation about my future,” Owen said. “Real Madrid contacted my advisers over the weekend and said that they wanted me to stay, but that they would not stand in my way if the right opportunity arose for me to return to the Premiership.”

According to Eriksson, who was speaking at a coaching clinic for journalists put on by McDonald’s, Owen should be in Real’s first XI regardless of the other options available to Vanderlei Luxemburgo. “If Michael stays there, he will play games because I think he’s the best goalscorer there,” Eriksson said. Better even than Ronaldo? “I think he’s in the same class,” he added.

Six years ago, when manager of Lazio, Eriksson tried to sign Owen — the only English player he attempted to recruit during his long career in club management. “Twelve million for Michael Owen is not expensive,” Eriksson said. “No one can doubt his ability and, wherever he goes, he will always be Michael Owen, always important for England. How many goals has he scored for his country: 32? That’s a lot and he’s still only 25.”

Although unfailingly supportive of Owen, Eriksson will not start with him against Denmark on August 17 in Copenhagen, when England begin their season. He is suspended for the next World Cup qualifier, against Wales in Cardiff on September 3, so Jermain Defoe or Crouch, fitness permitting, will probably start alongside Rooney.

Eriksson, who was speaking as McDonald’s revealed that they were only 1,200 short of recruiting 8,000 new grass-roots coaches by 2006 as the FA’s community partner, also welcomed the news that Jonathan Woodgate was fit to join Owen in Austria.

The Swede said that as many as 17 places in his 23-man squad for next year’s World Cup finals were already booked but Woodgate, who has yet to make his Real debut, could come back into contention if he avoids injury.

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