HEINZE TO BUY OUT MANYOO CONTRACT
It's old news for regular gossipers, but The Times reports that
'Real Madrid are expected to press ahead with plans to sign Gabriel
Heinze.' In case you weren't already aware, 'Barcelona, Juventus
and Paris Saint-Germain, from whom United bought Heinze for £6.9
million in June 2004, are also understood to be in the hunt for the
Argentina defender.'
What's interesting about the story, however, is the possibility
that Heinze will 'buy out' his contract. It's a little complicated,
so forgive your bleary-eyed Gossip columnist while he quotes from
The Times at length:
'United will be entitled to about £6 million in compensation if
Heinze chooses to invoke a clause in Fifa's new transfer
regulations allowing him to buy out his contract, although he would
not be able to join another club in England if he did so. Under the
Fifa law, a contract ceases to be "protected" after a period of
three years if the player was under 28 when he signed.
'A player could then "buy out" the contract, provided that 15 days'
notice is given and that a compensation fee - in effect the value
of the remaining contract - is paid to the club owning his
registration.
'The only known precedent involves Andy Webster, the Scotland
defender, who was given permission by Fifa to leave Heart of
Midlothian for Wigan Athletic last September, although, given the
ensuing difficulties of that transfer, other clubs and players may
be put off going down the same route.
