[GocartMozart]

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...610946,00.html

United to probe Heinze approach
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Manchester United are investigating the possibility Liverpool made an illegal approach for Gabriel Heinze.

The row over Heinze's proposed move to Liverpool is threatening to spill over into open warfare after United have flatly refused to do business with Liverpool, even though Rafael Benitez has matched United's £6.8million asking price for the 29-year-old.

Although Heinze's agent claims to be in receipt of a letter which effectively gives the full-back permission to leave Old Trafford, United chief executive David Gill does not believe it over-rides the player's contract, which still has two years to run.

In any case, Gill insists he verbally informed Heinze's agent that United would not be prepared to do business with any of their main Premier League rivals, specifically Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Currently on a short break following his participation at the Copa America, Heinze is said to be considering a legal challenge to Gill's view.

Yet the United stance only backs up Ferguson's previously stated opinion that Heinze had no chance of joining the Champions League finalists, a position that has only hardened over the past few days, with the United boss adding a further twist to the saga.

"Gabriel Heinze will not be joining Liverpool," he said immediately after his side's 6-0 pre-season win over Chinese League outfit Shenzhen in Macau.

"We are examining some of the statements coming from his agent and when contact was first made with Liverpool.

"We are not happy with the agent's conduct in the matter and we are examining that as well, but it will take a couple of days before we have anything more to say."

By coincidence Liverpool are only 40 miles away from United, having landed in Hong Kong yesterday ahead of the bi-annual Premier League Asia Cup competition.

Speaking before Ferguson dropped his bombshell, Benitez confirmed he was keen for Heinze to become the first player to head down the East Lancs Road from United to Liverpool since Phil Chisnall in 1964.

"We made the offer and they rejected it. Now the lawyers are working on it," said the Reds boss.

"We have to wait. We are still trying to push the deal through because he is a good player and a player we like."

It means United are heading towards the start of the defence of their Premier League title with two transfer wrangles needing to be sorted out.

Ferguson is still hopeful of having Carlos Tevez on board for the season's opening game against Reading on August 12.

seriously this is getting out of hand. i don't understand why it has to be liverpool. it just is beyond my comprehension

the Executive can say what he will, but it does not necessarily rescind his contract. come on now. i really will flip my lid if the Kop starts chanting argentina. i really will

[randy420]

Hopefully it's true that the scouse bastards made an illegal approach for him, and as a result, they're docked about 30 points and are relegated. fucking wankers

[GocartMozart]

FERGUSON: UNITED HAPPY WITH HEINZE TREATMENT

Fergie: Agent is unsettling Heinze
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that interference from agents could be behind Gabriel Heinze's desire to leave the club.


Unsettled Heinze has been the subject of interest from United's rivals Liverpool in recent weeks, with Rafael Benitez believed to have bid around £7million for the Argentina defender, thereby meeting a valuation agreed between player and club.

With the threat of legal action surrounding the proposed transfer, it is a situation that threatens to get ugly but Ferguson insists relations between the Red Devils and Heinze are fine.

"We've looked after Gabi very well," he told Sky Sports News.

"He had his cruciate knee operation and we looked after him. We let him do his rehabilitation in Spain, which he wanted and I think he's delighted at how we've treated him.

"We've conducted ourselves in a way that suited Gabi perfectly.

"I think that if we could take away the agent's role in this I don't think an awful lot is wrong with Gabi's position at the club."

Ferguson also insisted that the left-back could have helped sell the club to potential new signing, Carlos Tevez.

Tevez is another player around whom legal wrangles linger with his representative Kia Joorabchian announcing he will take the case to the High Court.

The West Ham striker has complete negotiations with United, something Ferguson believes Heinze could have helped with.

"They have been away with the Argentina team. I'm sure Gabi's told him what a good club it is. There's nothing else he can say about Manchester United from his own experiences."

another story for you lot - and the saga continues

[pantlessjim]

I hope he doesn't go, and Liverpool made an illegal approach. To see him playing anywhere else would be rough. Like I said before, I understand him wanting to get more time, but stay away from Liverpool!

[dtunam]

Originally Posted by randy420

Hopefully it's true that the scouse bastards made an illegal approach for him, and as a result, they're docked about 30 points and are relegated. fucking wankers

QFT. I really hope that happens and the scouse bastards really do get relegated. That would give us all a reason to celebrate and Randy to show what a party animal he is

[dada]

Would be quite the comedy seeing Fernando Torres play Championship football.

[riteshsingh123]

Heinze faces life in the reserves as Ferguson's patience runs out

Daniel Taylor
Wednesday August 1, 2007
The Guardian


Gabriel Heinze faces the distinct possibility of being frozen out at Manchester United because of his aggressive pursuit of a transfer to Liverpool. Sir Alex Ferguson is so appalled at the defender's conduct that there are misgivings within Old Trafford about whether the Argentina international should be considered for first-team action for as long as the dispute remains unresolved.
Heinze is so desperate to leave Manchester that he has appointed Liverpool's own solicitors, Hill Dickinson, in an extraordinarily confrontational move which has left Ferguson and several others at Old Trafford feeling badly let down. The manager intends to talk the matter through with his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, before they decide whether Heinze is in the right state of mind to play any part for the club when their title defence opens at home to Reading on August 12.

The likelihood is that the defender will not have any involvement after a period which has sorely tested the relationship between player and manager.
Ferguson will not be happy that Heinze's solicitor, Richard Green, wrote to the Premier League yesterday asking for an arbitration panel to be set up to decide whether United were wrong to block the player's move to Merseyside. Green wants the league to act within the next fortnight and will argue that United reneged on an official agreement.

"The matter has been referred to us by Gabriel Heinze's solicitors," a spokesman for the league confirmed, although there was no indication whether the authorities would agree to intervene or, indeed, the length of time it might take for the process to be completed.

Heinze has instructed his legal team to do all they can to conclude the matter before the transfer window closes at the end of August. Whether that is possible remains to be seen but the legal implications, combined with United's refusal to do business with Liverpool, suggest it is highly unlikely there will be a quick outcome. "That will take years," a bullish Ferguson said when informed that the league had been asked to resolve the argument, and the United management are openly confident of winning any legal case. Liverpool, too, are aware that United are in the stronger position legally.

The key piece of evidence for Heinze is a fax, signed by United's chief executive, David Gill, and sent to the player's agent this summer, saying he could leave if United received a bid of £6.8m. Although the club seemingly went back on this agreement when Liverpool came in for the 29-year-old, United will argue that they have a far more significant piece of paper in the form of a legally binding contract that ties Heinze to Old Trafford for another two years.

United's lawyers will also state that the club were perfectly within their rights not to sell to one of their key rivals and that Heinze's advisers were informed of this at the time.

Heinze has been on an extended break because of his involvement in the Copa América and will not meet Ferguson until next week. "He is due back to training next Monday and once we have a meeting with him his position may become a little clearer," said Ferguson. "As far as the Premier League are concerned, they can do what they like. We are quite confident in our position."

[riteshsingh123]

I hope he is on the bench in the reserves

[dtunam]

new story:

We might swap Heinze and Chellini. This sounds like a good deal

[funkdoctorspock]

OMG. This would be a great deal.

I still can't understand for the life of me why Gaby wants out. He is going to be starting in a bunch of games this season. Does he really expect to play in all of them?

I am eager to hear his take on things, because right now his behaviour towards United isn't looking too good.

From what I've heard from some of the members here, that Chellini fellow is suppose to be really good. He value rating is pretty high, so I'm guessing it's a player swap plus cash deal.