Heinze move to Liverpool is vetoed.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out the possibility of letting defender Gabriel Heinze join Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez made a £6 million ($12 million) bid for the 29-year-old Argentine on Monday but it was rejected by United. Heinze has also been linked to both Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

But Ferguson has made it clear he will not allow Heinze to head to Merseyside, a route travelled only once since the War, when Phil Chisnall joined United's bitter rivals in 1962.

"I can assure you Liverpool will not be getting Gabriel Heinze," said Ferguson. "We have had a couple of offers and we have turned them down."

Heinze reportedly told Ferguson earlier this month that he wanted a move but because he was playing for Argentina in the Copa America they did not have the opportunity to speak since.

"Heinze's agents are rolling the ball all the time but no matter what his agent thinks, we are in the driving seat," said Ferguson.

"I don't exactly know what Gaby thinks because it is all coming from his agent but this has been going on for a year-and-a-half now."

The deadline for Heinze to invoke a buy-out clause has now expired. Had the Argentine stated his intent to pay up his two-year contract, United could not have stopped him joining Liverpool.