British papers split on Owen's United move

LONDON: Britain's newspapers Saturday could not decide if Michael Owen's surprise move to Manchester United represented another canny swoop by Sir Alex Ferguson - or a waste of money on an injury-prone player.

Owen, 29, was snapped up after becoming a free agent when his Newcastle contract expired last week. The injury-prone star, who scored just ten goals last season, is reported to be on a "pay as you play" deal.

Owen's weekly wage at Newcastle was believed to have been as high as 120,000 pounds ($197,000).