Owen important for Rivaldo deal

Owen strongly denied the hint that he would leave Liverpool if they could not start winning major competitions, and that will come as a relief to Rivaldo who is likely to leave Milan this January for pastures new.

"We've heard that Owen wants to be in the hunt for important things or be transferred," said Rivaldo's agent Carlos Arini.

"This could influence matters positively because he will put on pressure for more important players like Rivaldo to join the side.

"Rivaldo knows a lot about Owen and we've talked about him.

"He told me he'd love to play with him because he's quick and he is a European Footballer of the Year.

"We have had conversations with Liverpool and Tottenham. Of the two offers the Liverpool one is closer to what we want."