GABRIEL Heinze will seek a European escape from his Old Trafford misery, having lost his case to force a controversial switch from United to Liverpool.
The Argentinian left back is set to appeal the decision by a Premier League arbitration hearing that threw out his argument to move to Anfield.
Once the 29-year-old lodges the appeal, the Reds will then have 14 days to respond.
If United decide to play hardball with Heinze, they could stretch that response out to the very last day, which would go beyond the August 31 deadline.
However, recognising the delicate nature of the issue, the Premier League will invoke rule M4, which allows them to clear transfers under their own jurisdiction after the deadline.
But Heinze, who still has two years left to run on his contract, seems determined to continue his battle for the right to leave for the club of his choice.
He told the Daily Mail: “My fight is for the freedom to negotiate with any club.
“United never wanted me to leave for one of the big clubs but this anti-Liverpool clause is incredible.”
Limbo
Reports have linked Heinze with a move overseas to the likes of Real Madrid or Lyon but he claims he is in limbo.
“I still don’t have a clear future.
“I have not spoken with Lyon because I believed my option was Liverpool.
“I would like a solution. Not playing would be negative for me and also the club.”
It would probably take an injury crisis of catastrophic proportions in defence for United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to choose Heinze again in his starting XI.
After his decision to fight the club and openly battle to make the sacrilegious move across the M62, Heinze is now facing a long spell rotting in the reserves if he does not find a new destination on the continent.
There surely can be no going back for the Argentina international, whose action has insulted United's loyalty when they agreed to his favoured rehab in Spain during his nine-month battle with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
United were also patient when in 2004 he insisted on going to the Olympics, thus delaying his United debut following his £6.8m arrival from Paris St Germain.
Ferguson then bowed to his wishes to go the World Cup in Germany in the summer of 2006 when he hadn't fully recovered from his injury. United suffered the knock on effect of that rush back and he missed six games of last season.
What do you think? Have your say.
Gabi left to plot a Euro getaway
August 22, 2007
Comments
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I cannot believe the beligerence of Heinze. Does this guy have some sort of football death wish.
His case was thrown out, yet still he is bangin on about 'his desire' to join the bin dippers!
Yesterday I was kind of feeling a bit sorry for him, but after reading his comment this morning any sympathy I had has evaporated.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!!
What gets me is that we never know the full story. Do United want to sell him? Did Gabby want to leave? Or is it the doing of his agent?
Gabby put in some good performances for United and I would be sorry to see him go.
Who covers for Evra when he gets injured? At one point Silvestre was destined to leave but now seems to be staying.
Why not give Gabby a few games. We can work things out when we want to? We did it with Ronaldo after the World Cup.
I think it is right not to sell good players to our closest rivals. After all Gabby is no Djemba Djemba.
He needs to be sold or swapped plus cash for a forward, though i still cant/dont understand his sudden rush to leave UTD, surely it cant be just because he has to fight for his place, they way fergie rotates he would get plenty of chances, anyway i dont rate him and we should rightly get rid.
Get rid of this ungrateful spoilt git,he does deserve to be our player if he does not understand the rivalry with the bin dippers.
Fair Go Gabby,
You have had your pound of flesh (paid for not working). Now it's time to do the honourable thing and stop being pig headed to ge your own way.
Try the word 'negotiate'. I think United will do the right thing within the confines that they have said. No Premier League key oppostiion,a nd arond the monery they have asked for.
If not you would have to ait until at least January if I was SAF.
What did Forrest Gump's mother say "stupid is as stupid does".
He needs to think about it.
Salford Ken
What an idiot. Does he really think he would be garanteed a starting role at Liverpool more than at United? In my view Riise is a better option. He is way more dangerous in coming forward rather than Heinze. Acctually we should let him go to Liverpool. It would only strenghten us and weaken them.
Now, you won't believe this one. Gabby wants to stay in the North West, preferably Liverpoool. However, wit that blocked he si looking for another North West club. Can you see where I am going on this one...
I think UNITED have been very good to GH.He must have seen the contract clause when he signed.He's making a fool of himself in my eyes.
I cant believe i one had his name on the back of my united shirt, he is a disgrace to united and to football in general. When will he get the message he will NOT be sold to Liverpool either find a move abroad or dont play football for a long time. Even the researves is too good for him
I think he's betrayed everyone at United & has potentially screwed up his career. We all knew his passing wasn't top drawer but it was overlooked generally cos of his heart. He was made captain for gods sake what sort of a professional thinks he can pull off the treachery he tried.
you know, i loved this guy before, but now he is seriously getting on my last nerve. LET HIM ROT in the reserves for 2 YEARS!!!
The worst thing is that he ACTS like he doesn't understand what the fuss is about!!?? And the following statement he made is just priceless: “United never wanted me to leave for one of the big clubs but this anti-Liverpool clause is incredible.”
Anyone else think Heinze will go to another club, only to be immediately signed by Liverpool for perhaps a little profit? Or do the rules forbid that kind of thing?
We hold the cards. We will find him an escape route but he must accept our choice of club now or spend the season training with the under 17's! West Ham are apparently keen - perhaps we could do something with Dean Ashton? I would also insist on a clause stating that we have first option to buy him back so he can't engineer his way to Anfield via another club. No disappointed to see the player leave as he was awful last season but he should have shown us more respect. We took the boy to our hearts, supported him throughout his injury and now he does this. Very poor!
all utd have done is show loyalty and faith. I'm still waiting for him to tell us why he really wants to leave - he said first team football - but surely he knows thats not guaranteed at liverpool - there must be another reason for him slapping utd in the face for the way he has. And to think i bought a rather fetching adidas argentina tracksuit top a year ago because of him - lucky we bought tevez or that would have been going in the bin!!!
Trawler, I'm not 100% sure on this but I don't think he could do that; there was a big fuss over the fact that Mascherano joined liverpool and it seemed like it was his 3rd club in a season, which is against the rules. Of course, they found some way out of that wrangle for Liverpool's sake, something to do with the Brazilian season starting much earlier I think.
But for Gabby, if he joined another club he could not join liverpool straight away. I expect he is registered as a united player this season, a transfer would see him re-registered for someone else and would prohibit him joining the the dippers until next summer at least.
Can't believe his comments. The guy just keeps digging a bigger hole for himself. United have looked after him and Liverpool have reportedly offered him 70,000 reasons to join them.
The Liverpool board must know that they did not have a cat in hells chance of signing him, yet gave hime their lawyers to prepare and act on his appeal.
Conspiracy theory, are they trying to cause problems within the squad, after all he is Ronaldo's best friend !!!!
b dont be daft the glazers would pass the cost of his wages onto the fans
The trawler i speculated about that a few wks back. I think it would involve too much collusion to be realistic though, particularly with the transfer window approaching. There's also FIFA's rule about not playing for more than 2 clubs in a yr, which would prevent it.
As for Heinze, he should never wear the Utd jersey again. Even he we cant get rid before the transfer window closes, leave him in the reserves till January. And as for the suggestion that he's not fully aware of the rivalry between Utd and Liverpool, absolute rubbish. You dont play for Utd for 3 yrs without knowing this. I'm sure Neville would have mentioned it to him once or twice!
What a load of pap being spoke on here.
Talk about pot and kettle or what!
How conceipted to say we can sign anyone we want (Rooney etc) yet our dummy comes out when someone wants to sign one of ours. He was lousy last season and is fast approaching 30 so let the dippers have him you bitter plonkers.
You,ve got far bigger things to worry about than losing your 2nd choice fullback.
Geeez get with the program you lot eh!
birdy playing for more than 2 clubs in a year its simple to evercome. that problem after all liverpool managed it with a little help from barwick
Dennis Law's Backheel... I just heard Micah Richards is a red. What with the unsigned contract, perhaps you should worry about your own affairs.
This mornings "Sun" says WHU want Heinze,surely united wont let him go to their relegation rivals.
Kingpig, Hyde.. Either someones telling you porky pies or you are just talking the brown stuff. Micah Richards supported Arsenal as a kid despite growing up in Leeds.
Also.. what unsigned contract? Micah signed up for four years last summer and has no interest in leaving City. Unlike your former hero.
Ooops... busted. But I bet a few blue hearts stopped for a mo.
KingPig, Hyde: You obviously didn't see how Richards contemptuously dealt with your lot on Sunday.