Any hopes of an unlikely Liverpool reunion for Michael Owen met their end on Tuesday when the striker signed a deal with Stoke City for the coming season. Despite a rocky history with supporters and that many were vehemently opposed to the idea of Owen returning to Liverpool, when Stoke announced his capture it was Owen who led in a poll of which free agent forward fans most wanted to see the club sign. With Owen off the table, the list of attackers still available has been whittled down further. However, there have been whispers in the Italian media today suggesting that the reason Alessandro Del Piero's move to Sydney FC stalled was because Liverpool had offered the 37-year-old attacker a contract and that the player is now considering his options.