Cheaper Heinze offered to Barca, Real Madrid

Manchester United have offered their want-away defender Gaby Heinze to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Sunday Times says a Premier League arbitration panel meets tomorrow to rule on Heinze's future, but in a new twist to an increasingly malevolent saga, it has emerged that Spain's leading two clubs have been asked if they would like to sign the player for less than the £6.8m United named as his "release price" in a letter to Heinze's agent.

The development may be a further signal of how desperate United are not to sell him to Liverpool.