Heinze’s Liverpool move a step closer

Jul 17 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

GABRIEL HEINZE’S controversial move to Liverpool moved a step nearer reality yesterday when Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the player wants to leave Manchester United.

And it has emerged the Old Trafford club are powerless to prevent the 29-year-old quitting the club for their bitter North West rivals.

Heinze’s representatives are understood to be in possession of a document that gives the player consent to move to any club willing to pay £6million for his services.

The letter was sent by United under the impression the Argentine would move abroad after they decided not to offer him a new contract at the end of last season.

Real Madrid, Juventus and Newcastle United are among a number of clubs courting the left-back, who was part of the Argentina team that lost 3-0 to Brazil in the Copa America final on Sunday.

Liverpool, though, are Heinze’s preferred destination with Rafael Benitez willing to make the

player the first to move directly between the two clubs in 43 years.

United manager Ferguson is loath to allow any of his squad to leave for Anfield and will attempt to talk Heinze out of the move, but is ultimately unable to block the transfer.

“Gaby’s agent has advised us that he wants to move on,” said Ferguson yesterday.

“I am not too sure about that and we do not have a concrete offer but there is momentum regarding his next move.”

Meanwhile, Peter Crouch is ready for a renewed fighting for his place in attack following Liverpool’s summer spending spree.

Despite the big-money summer signings of Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, Crouch finished Liverpool’s top goalscorer last season with 18 goals.

And although Bellamy and Robbie Fowler have now departed, the addition of club record signing Fernando Torres and Ukraine international Andriy Voronin has left Crouch vowing to prove himself once again to Anfield manager Benitez.

“When you see other forwards leaving, I wouldn’t say it’s a case of ‘Yeah, one’s leaving, that’s good for me’, because you know they’re going to be replaced,” said the 26-year-old striker.

“I think every season is a defining season for me because people are always looking to see how I will do. I thought I did well at the end of my first year, and it was then a case of can he prove it over the course of a whole season?

“At the start of last year we brought in (Dirk) Kuyt and Bellamy and you ask yourself ‘How are you going to feature?’ and it’s the same again. I seem to have done it last year and, hopefully, I’ll be the same again with Torres and Voronin coming in.”

Harry Kewell was on target yesterday to help Australia through to the knockout stages of the Asia Cup.

The winger netted in the last minute to cap a 4-0 win over hosts Thailand.