Liverpool call in lawyers over Heinze transfer
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A row erupted last night between Manchester United and Liverpool over Gabriel Heinze, opening the possibility of the defender's future being decided in court. After Liverpool revealed they have drafted in lawyers in an effort to sign the Argentina international, United retaliated by saying they are investigating whether Heinze has been illegally touted for a move to Anfield by his representatives. Previously cordial boardroom relations between England's two most successful clubs have deteriorated over Heinze's future. The player is keen to join Liverpool but United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has insisted he will not sell to his arch-rivals, who are expected to be strong contenders for the Premier League title which his squad won last season.
United gave permission to Heinze's representatives, the Buenos Aires-based company Soccer SA, to seek a new club for the player this summer on the proviso that a £6.8m fee was secured but David Gill, the Old Trafford chief executive, has insisted that depended on the 29-year-old not joining a rival for domestic honours.
Liverpool and Heinze are preparing to contest that, claiming a valuation letter from United does not mention any such restriction and that the defender should be allowed to join them because they met the asking price last week. "We made an offer which they rejected. The lawyers are now working on it and so we have to wait," Liverpool's manager, Rafael BenÃtez said yesterday. "It's clear he's a player we like and he's a very good player. That's the reason why they don't want him to leave for us."
Ferguson responded by announcing United's intention to probe the actions of Heinze's representatives. He is furious at what he perceives to be moves by the player's agents to force through a transfer to Liverpool. "We are examining some of the statements coming from his agent of when the contact was first made, but at the moment we have nothing more to say," Ferguson said after his team had beaten FC Shenzhen 6-0 in Macau. "We are not happy with the agent's conduct in the matter and we're examining that. "There hasn't been any change in our stance because Heinze is not going to Liverpool as far as I am concerned."
The Madrid-based agent Roberto RodrÃguez and Heinze's brother, Sebástian, have acted as advisers to the player, who is on a summer break after his involvement with Argentina in the Copa América, and Ferguson last week revealed suspicions that Heinze's future was being driven by a third party. "Heinze's agents are rolling the ball all the time but no matter what the agent thinks, we are in the driving seat," he said.
Gill has dismissed suggestions that Heinze may invoke a Fifa ruling which would allow him to buy out the remaining two years of his contract and says a signed letter allowing a transfer for a set fee is now meaningless, despite the insistence of Liverpool and the player's representatives that the agreement is binding.
BenÃtez believes Heinze's case is strong enough to undermine United's stance and will wait for as long as the player fights on, with a court hearing looking an increasing possibility. Heinze has made it clear he is keen to link up with his compatriot Javier Mascherano at Anfield and is ready to battle for the move even though his actions risk antagonising United supporters. -
so serious sia...use lawyer
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Is he even worth all this trouble in the first place?
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Yeah i also wonder... Is not as tho he is really that good or young or cheap... Personally, i do hope the deal goes through if they can get $6m and above... Cos with Real and Juve not coming in for him... They probably won't be getting this amount after this Aug...Originally posted by Patrik:Is he even worth all this trouble in the first place? -
mourihno must be laughing.
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It's because of clubs rivalry that this transfer is made complicated.Originally posted by Patrik:Is he even worth all this trouble in the first place?
Cheers.
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it will be very fierce when they meet the coming season.
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Lawyer says Liverpool may be powerless over Heinze deal
A leading sports law specialist suspects that Liverpool could prove powerless to wrest Gabriel Heinze away from Manchester United. The Argentina left-back still has two years remaining on his contract at Old Trafford and United are refusing to sell him to their close Premiership rivals and north-west neighbours.
"I'd love to know what on earth Liverpool can actually do to require Manchester United to give up their rights under their contract with Heinze," said Peter Goodman, a partner in SA Law of St Albans. Heinze and Liverpool appear to be basing their case on a letter Heinze says Manchester United gave him, stating that he can leave Old Trafford should any other club offer a sum in the region of £6m-£7m.
Meanwhile David Gill, United's chief executive, says this document is "meaningless" - and particularly in the context of Heinze potentially leaving for a principal domestic adversary - arguing that Sir Alex Ferguson would never have countenanced the possibility of such a move. "Unfortunately we don't know the content of that letter but Liverpool's chances of signing Heinze almost certainly depend on the detail within that note and whether it can be construed as a legally binding commitment to sell him to anyone who offers £6m. The key question is does it replace the original contract," added Goodman, who doubts whether a club as legally savvy as United would have furnished a player with a document worded sufficiently strongly to supersede a key part of his original agreement.
"From what United are saying it seems the letter is not a commitment to sell him. If so, it is difficult to see how Liverpool can succeed," he said. Goodman also explained that Heinze spurned an opportunity, under Fifa regulations, to buy himself out of his contract during a five-week "grace period" at the end of the season when football's ruling body offers restless but contracted players an escape clause, albeit at a price. "One option for Heinze would have been to buy himself out of his contract in accordance with Fifa regulations but he has left it too late, the deadline has passed," said Goodman.
The Liverpool manager, Rafael BenÃtez, however, remains determined to continue his legal battle. He confirmed he has called in Liverpool's lawyers to try to extricate Heinze from the final two years of his Old Trafford contract, leaving Ferguson facing a possible High Court battle.
Ferguson mounted an angry response to BenÃtez's move to bring in the lawyers by accusing the player's representatives of going behind the champions' back to try to force the deal through. BenÃtez refused to be drawn further into the dispute: "I do not want to say any more about that."
Speaking after Liverpool booked their place in the Asia Trophy final after a 3-1 win over the Hong Kong side South China FC, BenÃtez said: "We have made an offer which United rejected. The matter is now in the hands of our lawyers and we will have to wait and see what happens. He is a player I would like."
BenÃtez claims he received documentation, signed by a senior United official, confirming Heinze's availability. "A lot of clubs, in many different countries, knew what the situation was," he said. "I do not know what the problem is. We made an offer, they rejected it. I know what they are saying to the press but everyone in the world knows they [United] signed a document." -
How would Rafa feel if the table is turned.......if other ppl using lawyers to force a sale.
Its almost unspoken rules that you dont sell to your rivals...... -
why rafa and sir alex want to get into so much trouble over two argentinians??
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If Heinze goes there i pretty much doubt that he'll be a Liverpool favourite too
Unless he plays like some godly defender or sth... -
Yeah, and he might become the number 1 hated person by Man Utd fans overnight.Originally posted by lpx88:If Heinze goes there i pretty much doubt that he'll be a Liverpool favourite too Unless he plays like some godly defender or sth... -
I think he ought to stay in Man U...better for him