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Despite being told where to go last season, Wigan Athletic are renewing their interest in hand-rubbing, pretend nice-guy Michael Owen.

The Newcastle United striker is mulling over a contract offer in the region of £90,000 a week to stay at Toon for the rest of his career, but Wigan boss Steve Bruce is set to launch an audacious bid once the transfer window opens as they try to replace the outgoing Emile Heskey.

It is a win-win situation for Bruce as at the very least it would convince Heskey of the Latics' ambition and make him re-think his plan to let his contract wind down or move in January.

At best it could see England's Germany-destroying frontline of 2001 reunited at the JJB Stadium. It would also show Zamalek and Amr Zaki that they mean business.

If Rafael Benitez ever spoke to his players he would haul Steven Gerrard into his office and demand why he is telling Mark Lawrenson that Robbie Keane will be on his way in January.

Fortunately for Gerrard, Benitez does not like to talk to his players and as the Liverpool captain is far too good to be dropped or sent on loan to Hoffenheim, Rafa will probably blink a few times and email him a memo reminding him of his responsibilities.

Or Benitez and/or Gerrard could just sue Lawrenson, who claimed: "I had a drink with Steven Gerrard at a function on Saturday night. [Keane and Gerrard] share the same agent, and he thinks something is going to happen in January. He thinks he's going to be moved on."

There are several things wrong with this statement. Firstly, the implication that Gerrard went out for a drink THE NIGHT AFTER A GAME casts aspersions over the man's professionalism, which has never been doubted before. Drinking after a game is the worst thing you can do, aside from drinking the night before a game or drinking during it. GS knows, having done all three and scored a hat-trick against the Rose and Crown second XI between tactical chunders on the sidelines.

Secondly, the "he thinks something is going to happen in January" thing is either pretty off-key from Gerrard, a lie from Lawrenson or an indiscrete breach of that confidential relationship that you would risk with Eric Djemba-Djemba but not with one of the best players in the world.

Lawrenson has since back-tracked furiously, manoeuvring into the wiggle room afforded by his failure to specify; a) what Stevie G was drinking, and b) whether "he thinks" refers to Gerrard or the agent.

Keane could go back to striker-shy Tottenham in a cut-price deal that writes off the remaining £10 million or so Liverpool still owe, while Newcastle themselves could move as they seek a replacement for Owen.

One place Keane will not be going to is Portsmouth, who have turned their attentions to a top-quality midfielder after Real Madrid made a "substantial" bid for Lassana Diarra . Now Harry Redknapp has gone, the pressure is on Tony Adams to flex his muscles in the transfer market for the first time in his career.

One contact he does have is Arsene Wenger. Now they are out of the Carling Cup, youngsters Mark Randall, Jack Wilshere and Fran Merida could all do with a loan spell away from the Emirates.

Another potential raiding ground could be Sunderland, who have an entire first XI of players to shed. Teemu Tainio - who has only started six matches since joining from Tottenham in the summer - would be an experienced replacement, while Wigan's Michael Brown is also available, which could help fund the aforementioned, audacious bid for Owen.

Obviously Pompey would much rather bring in Bayern Munich's Mark van Bommel, Zenit St Petersburg's Anatoliy Tymoshchuk or Valencia's Edu, who are all available and all speak English. They may not want to go, though.

Dropping down to the Championship, Bournemouth defender Shaun Cooper has been linked with a £100,000 move to table-toppers Wolves, who are also eyeing up Watford's former Arsenal trainee John-Joe O'Toole. Midlands and promotion rivals Birmingham City, meanwhile, have told Peterborough to take a hike after they were quoted a whopping £4 million for Craig Mackail-Smith.

Eurosport