Michael Owen has told DAZN that he thought that Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United would sign Raheem Sterling before he left Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
The former Newcastle striker has said that he expected Newcastle to bring in England international attacking midfielder Steling as well as Jesse Lingard, who moved to Nottingham Forest on a free in the summer transfer window after leaving Manchester United at the end of last season.
As reported by The Daily Star, Chelsea paid City £45 million in transfer fees for Sterling and are paying the English star £350,000 per week as salary.
Owen told DAZN: “I was expecting them to maybe push for European places if they went and signed two or three good players, the likes of, you know [Jesse] Lingard, I thought maybe.
“Raheem Sterling, I thought they might go and make a big push for players like that to get them to that next level.
”So Europe now is looking — I’m not quite sure about that. But I think it’ll be a solid season for them.”
Raheem Sterling to Newcastle United was unlikely
In our view, it was always unlikely that Raheem Sterling would join Newcastle United in the summer transfer window.
Now, of course, Newcastle – or any other club for that matter – would love to sign a player like Sterling.
The former Liverpool star is at the top of his game at the moment and won multiple Premier League titles with Manchester City.
However, it was never really feasible that Sterling, who can also operate as a winger, would move to a Newcastle team who are unlikely to challenge for the European places in the Premier League table anytime soon.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
