JK: We must prepare for life without Owen

Dec 28 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

NEWCASTLE have begun their search for a successor to Michael Owen.

Publicly, United remain hopeful of persuading their skipper to stay at St James’s Park when his contract expires next summer.

But Joe Kinnear said last night he expects Owen’s agents to open talks with other clubs once the transfer window opens on Friday.

And the Magpies boss has signalled his suspicion that the England striker will move on by investigating possible deals for several potential replacements.

However, as for January signings, Kinnear confirmed that his struggle to sell fringe players may threaten his bid to buy big next month.

“We’ve looked at people; we’ve identified a few players,” Kinnear revealed, when discussing the prospect of replacing Owen at the end of the season.

“It has to be done.If Michael does make that decision and leaves us — I should imagine his agent will speak to other clubs next month — we have to be in a position to do something about it.

“We have to have somebody to come in. It won’t be easy to find a player that scores the goals Michael does, but that is exactly what we would have to do.”

And Kinnear added: “A few players elsewhere are out of contract themselves, which could work in our favour.”

However, Newcastle’s efforts to bring in new blood in January are being hampered by the sky-high price tags of their top targets — and the pittances they are being offered for their own players in return.

“Loans are looking more likely, though we would sooner buy the two players we want,” added Kinnear, who has been quoted £10 million- plus for West Ham centre-half Matthew Upson, and is also pursuing Everton left-back Leighton Baines.

Emile Heskey, particularly now that Mark Viduka has succumbed to injury again, is another player on United’s radar, with Kinnear well aware of Owen’s high regard for the Wigan target man.

“It depends on what I can sell,” Kinnear, pictured below, added. “The money I get in would contribute to what I can pay out.

“There are players that I don’t mind moving out. It’s a case of us getting a figure near to what they cost, and we haven’t got that yet.

“But we are going to have to make a decision . . . we will have to take what we can for them.”