Heinze had to move abroad, says Benitez

RAFAEL BENITEZ believes Gabriel Heinze had no alternative but to leave Manchester United and England after the Premier League blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.

Liverpool manager Benitez could not hide his hurt at seeing the player finally slip out of his grasp.

He said: “I am really disappointed with the situation because we had 100% confidence he would be arriving at Liverpool.

“But after the hearing it was impossible for him to remain here. He was so disappointed he knew he would have to go to another country.”

Benitez maintains that his club got a raw deal from the panel that adjudicated on the matter.

“It was a special situation — because we are Liverpool,” he said.

“The verdict was a surprise for everyone; our lawyers, the player and his agent. I could not believe it.”

Although Heinze still wanted to explore the Liverpool option, he knew that by dragging the situation out even further, his chances of moving out of England before the August 31 transfer deadline would effectively disappear.

Benitez is now considering his options although he is running out of time.

However he insists his focus at the moment is on the Premier League match against newly-promoted Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.