Italian side Lazio have reportedly offered to pay Liverpool £1.5 million just for the right to have first option on Michael Owen if he ever decides to leave Anfield.

Owen recently signed a new five-year deal with Premiership leaders Liverpool, but several recent newspaper reports suggest that Lazio, who spent £30 million on Marcelo Salas and Christian Vieri in the summer, are willing to gamble that the 18-year-old will want to move abroad one day. Question is can anyone ever see Liverpool not trousering the £1.5 million just to let their boy have a cappuccino with a couple of Lazio suits?