Heinze Back At Old Trafford
There could be a quick resolution to the Gabriel Heinze saga following the Argentine defender's return to Manchester United's training complex today.
Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze reported back at the club today as ordered following the extended leave he was granted after competing in the Copa America with Argentina.
First on the agenda for the Argentine defender is to try and resolve the dispute regarding his club future.
Heinze, 29, has asked lawyers to break the impasse and secure him a transfer to Liverpool, with United - particularly manager Sir Alex Ferguson - insisting that he will be allowed to join their arch-rivals at Anfield.
The player believes that a letter he has from United allows him to leave the club for a fee of £6.8 million.
But United chief executive David Gill has said he is sure the club are in the right, saying: "He is a contracted player for two years and unless we receive an offer which is acceptable to us as a club, he will remain with us."
Gill maintains that before Liverpool revealed their interest in Heize, he had verbally informed the player's agent that United would not be prepared to sell him to any of their three main domestic rivals (Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal).
That conversation is now understood to have been recorded - and, if so, it could be called up as evidence if the affair goes to court.
Ferguson reckons it is Heinze's representatives who have unsettled the full-back.
"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," said Ferguson.
"We've looked after Gabi very well. 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."
The player joined the Red Devils from Paris St Germain in 2004, but is now thought to be keen to move. with Liverpool's large Spanish-speaking contingent possibly attracting him.
Heinze arrived at United's Carrington training complex today, and a United spokesman told BBC Sport simply:
"Gabriel Heinze has reported for training,"
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