Real close in on Owen

Real Madrid moved closer to capturing Michael Owen tonight, with sources close to the Spanish giants revealing a fee has been agreed with Liverpool.

Real have agreed to give Liverpool €12m and right-sided midfielder Carlos Nunez for the 24-year-old England striker.

Owen has been linked with a move to the Spanish giants and was apparently left on the bench for his club’s Champions League qualifying win over Graz AK in Austria on Tuesday so as not to be cup-tied.

After the breakdown of contract talks at Liverpool, it became a distinct possibility that Owen would leave the club he has been at since he was 11 years old.

It appeared any transfer would be a straight cash deal – after Real Madrid coach Jose Camacho allowed Fernando Morientes to become cup-tied in the Champions League win at Wisla Krakow last night.

Samuel Eto’o had also been mentioned as a possible makeweight in any deal for Owen but he was determined to join Barcelona.

But the arrival of Nunez will ease Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez’s midfield predicament – Steve Finnan played in that position in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat of Graz AK.

Owen has always maintained he would not leave on a free transfer next summer at the end of his contract, and if he is unwilling to sign a new deal then Liverpool know they must get the best price now.

Benitez, who wants the saga sorted out after being shocked to find negotiations have been stalling for the past 16 months, apparently wants a fee for the striker now as he looks to rebuild the Liverpool squad.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said: “Michael is still our top striker at this club and he will be very hard to replace.

“We have been room-mates and have had a great friendship over the years and I would be disappointed to see him go because he is a great lad.

“We all want Michael to stay because he is our best player, we won the youth cup together and we have been here together a long time.

“But if he does go I wish him well because he has been a great servant to the club.”

Meanwhile Spanish radio station Cadena Ser is tonight reporting that attacking midfielder Luis Garcia could be on his way to Liverpool.

The station claims Liverpool will speak with Barcelona tomorrow and that they are ready to meet the £6m (€9m) transfer buy-out clause for the player.