Newcastle face a £750,000 wage bill for strikers Michael Owen and Mark Viduka, even though the pair may not play for the club again.

Both players' deals expire on Tuesday, but they have a clause in their contracts that means they will be paid for another month if they do not sign for clubs in July.

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Olympiakos have launched an audacious attempt to sign Michael Owen.

The Greek club are offering Owen Champions League football and a bumper wage packet to quit the Premier League and resurrect his career in Athens ahead of next year's World Cup.

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Carlos Tevez has said that Sir Alex Ferguson "made a mistake" by not starting him in Manchester United's Champions League final defeat by Barcelona. The forward has also spoken of his pain at regularly being among the substitutes last season as he prepares to end his stint at Old Trafford.

Tevez's contract expires today and he is expected to move to Manchester City after turning down the offer of a fresh deal. He believes his last game for United, against Barcelona in Rome, would have ended differently had he been selected from the beginning rather than thrown on for the second half with the team 1–0 down.

"You cannot argue with Alex Ferguson," he said. "He is like the president of England. It is impossible. You always lose. But he made a mistake to leave me on the bench. That was the only final the team had lost since I had been at Manchester United."