Frozen Out?

Last updated : 01 August 2007 By Editor

The Times:

Ferguson does not believe any third-party involvement will affect the Old Trafford club's position. "That will take years," laughed the Scot, when informed the Premier League may trigger negotiations.

"There is no update on Gaby's position. He is due back to training next Monday and once we have a meeting with him, his position may become a little clearer. As far as the Premier League is concerned, they can do what they like. We are quite confident in our position."

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.