Real Madrid Acquires Owen

Real Madrid acquired English soccer star Michael Owen from Liverpool on Friday, luring another of England’s top players and continuing its tradition of big summer transfers.

The 24-year-old striker is expected to be formally presented as a Real Madrid player next week after England’s exhibition match against Ukraine. The transfer was announced on Madrid’s website.

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez turned to Owen in a bid to overcome a disappointing season in which the team failed to win any trophies for the first time in five years.

That slump, which included losing its last five games to finish fourth in the Spanish first division, came despite a lineup featuring such big-money off-season acquisitions as David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo.

A week after he said he was “closer than ever” to signing a new contract with Liverpool of the English Premier League, Owen will now play in the Spanish league in a transfer reported by the British media to be worth $18 million.