Big Sam confirms Owen fears

Updated 14.19 Sun Jun 10 2007

Keywords: Premier League, Newcastle United, Sam Allardyce, Michael Owen, football, sport

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has admitted he cannot prevent Michael Owen leaving the club.

Reports claim Owen has a £9 million release clause in his contract and that has sparked rumours he could move on after two injury-plagued years on Tyneside.

"If Michael wants to leave there is nothing I can do about it" - Sam Allardyce

Owen has only played in 14 Premiership games for Newcastle and a £9 million transfer would represent a huge loss for the club, who paid £17 million to attract the England striker from Real Madrid.

Allardyce has already completed the signing of Mark Viduka on a free transfer from Middlesbrough and Joey Barton is expected to join soon from Manchester City, but Scott Parker has already left Newcastle this summer and Allardyce admits Owen could follow.

Allardyce said: "If Michael wants to leave, there's nothing I can do about it, especially if another club triggers his release clause.

"At the moment, we are benefiting from a release clause to get Joey Barton. But we could also suffer because of Michael's."