Newcastle (England): England striker Michael Owen agreed to join Newcastle from Real Madrid on a four-year contract with Magpies fans buying shirts with his name on the back even before he had passed a medical exam.
Owen discussed a return to Liverpool, his former team, before deciding to play for the Magpies and team up again with former England captain Alan Shearer.
"It's a great partnership. Michael Owen will score goals for them and it's great that he can play together with Shearer," said England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. "He's a big target man, good header, and he will give Michael many chances to score. I'm sure about that."
Eriksson said he gave Owen some advice before the move but wouldn't divulge what it was.
"As long as it makes Michael Owen happy it's good news for England and for me," the England coach said.
"Great club, fantastic that he will play regular football, more regularly than he did last season."
Newcastle did not reveal the transfer fee, but said it beat the club-record 15 million pounds (US$26.8 million; euro22 million) it paid for Shearer in 1996.
"He's someone who can become a legend with Newcastle United fans," Newcastle manager Graeme Souness said. "In football, the hardest thing to get in your team is someone who puts the ball in the back of the net and Michael is the best at doing that.
"I can understand people who liken it to the signing of Alan Shearer. I'd say it's the biggest transfer I've been involved in as a manager of any football club."
Newcastle said the 25-year-old Owen, who has a history of hamstring trouble, would have a medical exam before finalising the deal. But that didn't stop fans from lining up to buy shirts with Owen's name on it.
The club said Owen would be introduced at a news conference today.
British news reports said Owen was forced to join the Magpies because Liverpool was unwilling to match the fee of 17 million pounds (US$24.8 million; euro24.8 million) sought by Real Madrid.
That left Owen with the choice of staying as Madrid's fifth-choice striker or joining Newcastle, a club struggling in the Premier League and not qualified for European competition. The last time Newcastle won the league title was in 1927.
Owen wanted to leave Madrid because he needs match practice in te buildup to next year's World Cup. He scored 16 goals last eason after joining Madrid for euro8 million (US$9.7 million) in August 2004, but failed to get a regular first-ten place.
Souness has struggled to find the right partner for Shearer, trying out Craig Bellamy and Patrick Kluivert before releasing them.
He has recently hired Albert Luque from Deportivo de La Coruna but the Spaniard is likely to be a backup to the Shearer-Owen partnership.
If Owen passes his medical, he will wear the No. 10 shirt and play alongside Shearer, who was his strike partner at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Champinnship. England won just three of the 12 games they started together, losing five of the other nine.
