Everton head the betting to sign fitness guru Hargreaves

Owen Hargreaves may be doing the rounds in offices up and down the country, but while we ridicule hi, his videos are gaining interest in the boardrooms of football clubs from here to the States.

Having been released by Manchester United Owen Hargreaves is a free agent and, as the series of fitness videos show, he’s ready to make a full comeback to the game of football.

Ladbrokes have opened a market on where Hargreaves will ply his trade next season and Everton top the betting at 4/1.

Having been linked with clubs from the Championship to the Premier League, the Bundesliga to MLS, the betting market makes for a very continental read, although worryingly for Hargreaves, two clubs likely to be involved in a relegation fight and a Championship side are not far behind Everton.

Both Newcastle and Queens Park Rangers are the 9/2 second-favourites to land the signature of the Canadian-born Englishman with Championship favourites Leicester 6/1 to tempt Hargreaves to drop down a level.

The 30-year-old finds himself in the same predicament as Michael Owen did in the summer of 2009.

Owen was a top striker that had lost his way thanks to injury but was thrown a lifeline by Manchester United and there’s no reason that, should Hargreaves prove his fitness, he shouldn’t get back to a level close to his 2006 best.

18 starts in four years as a Manchester United player isn’t a great advert but there will be plenty of clubs willing to take a chance on Hargreaves now he’s available on a free transfer, and a pay-as-you-play contract could see him turn out for Arsenal next season.

Arsenal are a 10/1 chance to sign the midfielder and Hargreaves fitness videos suggest the player believes he’s capable of playing at the highest level.
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Should the right offer come in from America then you can be sure Hargreaves will consider it, but dropping down a level seems unlikely and clubs like Leicester and QPR are going to struggle to convince Hargreaves to sign for them.