Real swoop for Robben 'n Gab
REAL MADRID snapped up Arjen Robben and Gabriel Heinze in an incredible double swoop last night. The Spanish giants forked out £24.5million for Chelsea winger Robben and £8.4m to land Manchester United defender Heinze. Dutch ace Robben is on a five-year deal, while Argentina’s Heinze has signed up for four.Heinze, who had been fighting to join Liverpool, headed straight to the Spanish capital for a medical after Real settled on the fee with United. A top Madrid source confirmed: “Real Madrid and Manchester United have reached agreement for the transfer of Heinze. “He will sign a contract for the next four seasons and will be immediately incorporated into Bernd Schuster’s squad.”
Real followed that by sewing up Robben’s move, as Chelsea more than doubled their money. Robben, 23, moved to Stamford Bridge from PSV Eindhoven for £12m in 2004 but has struggled with injury.
Real will use 29-year-old Heinze as a replacement for Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos on the left. They moved just hours after the Premier League blocked the playerÂ’s proposed move to Liverpool. Kop boss Rafa Benitez blasted both United and Premier League bosses yesterday, saying the Heinze decision was one of several threatening his clubÂ’s title ambitions.
Benitez fumed: “How can a player with a signed agreement be treated like this? He has a document which is clear. “But the Premier League prefers to believe the word of someone else, who made a mistake. “There were accusations made against Liverpool which were unbelievable.
“Then I would like to ask the Premier League why it is that Liverpool always play the most fixtures away from home in an early kick-off following an international break? “Then I want to ask why it was so difficult for Liverpool to sign Javier Mascherano? We had to wait a long time but it was so easy for Carlos Tevez to join United.”