From Sporting Life www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/08/25/SOCCER_Liverpool_Owen.html&TEAMHD=soccer Could assist? LYON SET FOR CISSE MOVE Gerard Houllier may swoop for Djibril Cisse - his last signing before leaving Liverpool - giving his Anfield successor Rafael Benitez extra room for manoeuvre in the Michael Owen saga. Benitez refused to discuss a move to bring Owen back to Liverpool from Real Madrid, before Friday's European Super Cup final against CSKA Moscow in Monaco. It is thought Benitez has been unwilling to upset his current strikers with this match and important Champions League clashes on the agenda in recent weeks. But Houllier, now manager at French champions Lyon, has made an inquiry about Cisse - a player be bought from Auxerre for £14million just weeks before Benitez arrived at Liverpool. If the French international could be sold, and Liverpool recoup much of the original transfer fee, Benitez will have money and a gap in his squad to accommodate Owen. Houllier, who has Champions League football to offer and money to spend following the sale of Michael Essien to Chelsea, wants Cisse to return to France and lead his attack. There was plenty of contact between Owen's advisors and Liverpool this week, with the Real Madrid player confirming he wants to return to the club he left in an £8million deal last year. Newcastle have had a bid in excess of £15million accepted by Real. But Owen has said he would like to move to Tyneside only on a loan deal - and in the event of a Liverpool transfer failing to materialise before Wednesday's deadline. Owen wants to return to his Flintshire mansion. It is believed his pregnant wife wants to return to the UK to be near her family, while Owen needs to be playing regular football during World Cup year. Liverpool could not afford to match Newcastle's bid and would not countenance paying Madrid twice what they received for the player a year ago. Click here to send us your sporting
