Fergie taunts Rafa and insists: No-one
can force me to let Heinze go.
Sir Alex Ferguson has taunted bitter rivals Liverpool over their
pursuit of Gabriel Heinze yesterday and insisted they are wasting
their time asking the Premier League to step into the row over the
Manchester United defender's future. Informed that Liverpool chiefs
had contacted the Premier League with a request to intervene over
United's refusal to let Heinze move to Anfield, Ferguson smiled
broadly and said: "That will take years."
The United manager was just as dismissive of Liverpool's chances of
winning an increasingly acrimonious battle for the Argentina
left-back as he added: "They can do what they like. We are
confident about the situation and what the outcome will be."
Heinze, 29, due back in training on Monday, will be told by
Ferguson that United have no intention of backing down over
Liverpool's interest and that if he wants to leave Old Trafford, he
should speak to would-be buyers abroad such as Juventus or Real
Madrid.
Anfield boss Rafa Benitez was aware there would be a marked
reluctance to let the experienced defender bolster Liverpool's
title bid. But he was convinced that when Liverpool matched
United's asking price, an escape clause in Heinze's contract would
force their hand. When United countered that there was a verbal
agreement forbidding Heinze to join any of United's Premiership
rivals, Anfield officials turned to the Premier League for a final
ruling earlier this week.
But Ferguson said: "Heinze is due back here on Monday and I will
speak to him about where we go from here. I want to be sure about
his intentions because that is not absolutely clear at the moment."
United have an injury doubt over Nani and will be without Paul
Scholes, Owen Hargreaves and Anderson for a friendly against Inter
Milan at Old Trafford tonight which Ferguson believes will prove an
ideal prelude to Sunday's Wembley date with Chelsea for the
Commumity Shield and the start of their Premiership title
defence.
"This is just the kind of game we need at this stage of our
preparations, he said. "It will be competitive and the fact that
Inter are in the Champions League with us will add an extra
edge."
