The majority of Liverpool supporters would warmly welcome Michael Owen back to Anfield should he decide to leave Real Madrid.

That is the view of Jim Boardman from the supporters website, AnfieldRoad.com.

Owen has seemingly been relegated to fifth-choice striker at the Bernabeu following the near £40 million investment in Julio Baptista and Robinho this weekend.

The England striker knows he cannot afford to sit on the bench too long with the World Cup finals fast approaching.

Speculation is mounting that he will return to England with Manchester United and Liverpool understood to be in the frame for his services.

Boardman said: "I would say 75 per cent of the supporters would be in favour of bringing him back for the right price.

"Certainly no Liverpool fan wants to see him move to (Manchester) United.

"There's a small section that never took completely to Owen - they didn't like the way he seemed to be talking of a move overseas from early on in his career, or the way that he seemed to put England first.

"Most fans loved him though, and wished him well on his departure to Real."

Whether manager Rafael Benitez would like to see him back in Liverpool's colours is open to debate. Boardman believes, however, that chairman David Moores and chief executive Rick Parry would both back the move.

Boardman added: "Benitez would be wary, unless the right price was paid. But is is definitely possible."

It has emerged that Real's fans have turned against Owen and expect him to play next to no part in the coming season.

A survey of supporters has revealed that, at best, the Bernabeu faithful expect Owen to be a fixture in the team for fixtures in the Spanish Cup - a competition which carries little of the same prestige as the English FA Cup.

Only 12% of supporters picked Owen in their ideal Madrid team for the Primera Liga and Champions League season ahead, with Ronaldo included by 91% in a variety of forward lines.

The ongoing survey, by the newspaper Marca, is a further indication of how Owen faces a crisis ahead of the new campaign.

He started last season as third choice behind Ronaldo and Raul, and on the same level as Fernando Morientes who left to join Liverpool in January.

However Owen's starring role as substitute led to his promotion to the first team, with the fans warmly embracing the England man as he finished the campaign with 13 league goals from 20 starts.

Their position has changed with the buying spree which Real boss Wanderley Luxemburgo has predicted will continue, and Owen now faces a choice: stay and fight for his place again, or return to England.

Expectation is on Madrid's new signings to help the club challenge Barcelona for the Spanish title, with both players set to play a vital role in the first team.

Real Madrid's sports director, former Italy national coach Arrigo Sacchi, said: "Baptista is an important player with great potential and Luxemburgo knows him perfectly as both a player and a person.

"He is a good professional which is one of the key things to being a footballer. He will give us strength in an area where we need it.

"Robinho has fantasy and has enormous ability.

"We will have to see how he copes with the change of football style here but I think that he can light up the Santiago Bernabeu."