Brown says "money does not motivate Owen" ... which is perfectly right!
Newcastle paid £40.5m over four years for the parasite ... and he STILL couldn't get motivated!
Phil Brown: "We will be speaking to Michael's representatives within the week.
"I would think he would have a number of offers and we'll have to be competitive.
"But I wouldn't sit down with him if I thought I was wasting my time. Anything is possible in football.
"I don't think Michael will go for the best financial offer, I don't think it's about that for him at this stage of his career, he'll want the best offer for his future.
"He needs to spend a high percentage of next season's games at the highest possible level and that's where we can come in.
"Breaking the bank is not a term the chairman would be keen on. But he's certainly someone that you would push the boat out for. He's a world-class international footballer.
"There's been a lot of documentation about injuries and being unable to fulfil contracts because he can't get on the field of play.
"But as far as I'm concerned, with a good pre-season under his belt, he's still a quality player and if I could sit around the table with Michael Owen I would be interested in doing that.
"It would be exciting to get someone through the door that could possibly score you 15 or 20 goals a season. That would be a fantastic achievement."