Crystal Palace could have landed Manchester United defender Gaby Heinze this summer, it has been revealed.

Heinze is now on his way to Real Madrid after having his bid to join Liverpool thwarted by a Premier League panel this week.

It was revealed yesterday that, at this week's Premier League hearing, Crystal Palace chief executive Phil Alexander said his club had been approached with a proposal to secure Heinze's move to Liverpool by initially transferring him to Palace.

Under the proposal made to Palace by agents, the Argentina defender would have first been bought by the south London club and then sold on to Liverpool.