By DOMINIC KING
Michael Owen’s hopes of a sensational return to Anfield appear to be fading after Liverpool’s owners mounted a fierce defence of their transfer policy.
Manager Brendan Rodgers refused to rule out taking free agent Owen back to Merseyside after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Arsenal, given his small squad.
But principal owner John W Henry said he will not be looking for ‘expensive, short-term quick fixes’ and instead will focus on developing the players already at the club.
The prospect of former Manchester United striker Owen playing for Liverpool again has split opinion in the city, with many supporters unable to forget his three-year stint at Old Trafford.
After giving further thought to the idea, Rodgers has decided to pursue a different avenue anyway as signing Owen would have been viewed as a regressive step.
It is now almost certain the 32-year-old will join Stoke, who have offered him a £1.5million-per-season, two-year deal.
Whether Fenway Sports Group would have sanctioned a move for him is debatable, particularly in light of Henry’s open letter published on the club’s website.
He insisted Liverpool had conducted sound business in the transfer market this summer, even though he acknowledged deadline day had been a disappointment.
He also hinted at the reasons Liverpool failed to sign Clint Dempsey for £6million but many will have regarded his words as a rebuke for Rodgers.
Dempsey moved to Tottenham after Liverpool refused to offer more than £3m for the USA forward and missing out on the 29-year-old has left Rodgers’s squad stretched.
The Northern Irishman was clearly frustrated about Liverpool’s failure to complete the deal and subsequently said there were ‘operational issues’ that need to be resolved.
Henry, though, insisted FSG’s policy of buying predominantly young players would not alter. He said: ‘Spending is not merely about buying talent. Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years.
‘Our emphasis will be on developing our own players using the skills of an increasingly impressive coaching team. Much thought and investment already have gone into developing a self-sustaining pool of youngsters imbued in the club’s traditions.’
Henry, who admitted FSG had ‘made mistakes’ in the two years they have been in charge, added: ‘The transfer policy was not about cutting costs. It was — and will be in the future — about getting maximum value for what is spent so that we can build quality and depth.
‘No one should doubt our commitment to the club. In Brendan Rodgers we have a talented young manager and we have valued highly his judgment about the make-up of the squad. This is a work in progress.’
