Beckham agrees deal with Real Madrid - report

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Beckham agrees deal with Real Madrid - report

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MADRID (Reuters) - Manchester United midfielder David Beckham has agreed to join Real Madrid on a four-year deal after the clubs agreed a transfer fee of between 25 and 30 million euros (17.5 million and 21 million pounds), Spain's Radio Marca says.


Marca say the deal will be confirmed by Manchester United and Real Madrid later on Tuesday and that the England captain will be presented on July 2.


United would not comment on the story while Madrid officials were unavailable but his agent SFX told BBC Radio 5-Live that a deal is "imminent if not concluded".


Last week United announced that they had agreed a conditional bid from Barcelona for Beckham but his agents said that he did not want to join the club.


English and Spanish media have been full of the story ever since, with speculation and denial competing for space.


Real, on the verge of winning the Spanish league title as compensation for their failure to retain their Champions League crown, emerged as favourites as interest from Italian clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan waned.


Beckham, who said last week that he had never promised to see out his career at United, has made no other comment on the matter. He was travelling to Japan on Tuesday as part of a promotional tour of Asia for some of his sponsors.


Now 28, he has been at United since signing as a schoolboy and had two years remaining on a contract he signed a year ago.


Marca reported that he would be earning around 6 million euros per year plus bonuses and that he had an option for a further year on his contract.


Contrary to several media reports in both countries this week, the transfer will not include any exchange of players.
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[TTinCO]

At this point, the rest of the Premiere league ought to just pack up & go home.

RM will be unstoppable.

[Louis Cypher]

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

England captain sold by Man U

Reuters

LONDON -- Manchester United's David Beckham will join Real Madrid after the two most glamorous clubs in the world agreed a fee of around 35 million euros ($41.31 million) for the England captain on Tuesday.

Beckham is expected to earn around six million euros a year plus bonuses at the nine-time European champions and will undergo a medical in Madrid on July 1.

The midfielder, travelling to Japan on Wednesday as part of a promotional tour of Asia for his sponsors, issued a statement through his agents SFX saying he was delighted to move to Spain.

"I recognize that this is an amazing opportunity for me at this stage in my career and a unique and exciting experience for my family," he said.

"I know that I will always regret it later in life if I had turned down the chance to play at another great club like Real Madrid.

"I will always hold precious memories of my time at Manchester United and Old Trafford as well as the players, who I regard as part of my family, and the brilliant fans."

Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano said: "We are delighted with the arrival of David Beckham.

"It is a signing that will help us become more competitive."

Italian clubs Inter and AC Milan showed an initial interest in Beckham but a week ago United announced it had agreed a conditional deal to sell him to Barcelona.

Beckham's agents issued a statement saying he was "surprised and disappointed" at United's announcement and within days Barcelona's greatest rivals, Real, emerged as favorites for his signature.

In the last three years Real has held a virtual monopoly on buying the world's best players.

Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo, all winners of the World Player of the Year award, have arrived at the Bernabeu for a combined transfer total of more than $160 million, with Beckham taking the outlay to more than $200 million.

The club won the Champions League, Europe's top trophy, in 2000 and 2002 after selling its training ground to wipe out $240 million in debt.

But even the most star-studded team in the sport's history was not good enough this season as it was knocked out by Juventus in the semifinals after beating United in the quarters.

While Beckham's immense talent, particularly in delivering deadly crosses and finding the net with fizzing free kicks, will be a boon to Madrid, the Spanish club will also be delighted with the commercial opportunities afforded by one of the most marketable men in the world.

Beckham has been hugely popular at United, a club he joined as a schoolboy, but in the last few years his relationship with manager Alex Ferguson has been strained.

Beckham, married to pop star Victoria Adams and with two young children, leads a high-profile celebrity lifestyle that has not always been appreciated by 61-year-old Ferguson.

The Scot kept Beckham on the bench for several high-profile matches towards the end of the season just finished, sparking the initial speculation that he would be moving overseas.

After United was knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal, a furious Ferguson kicked a boot in the changing room which cut Beckham over the eye.

United won the league title but its failure to repeat its Champions League success of 1999 has led Ferguson to reevaluate his squad.

He apparently decided that to bring in new blood -- Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho is top of his shopping list -- he would have to raise funds via the sale of the club's most valuable commodity.

London-born Beckham has been at United since signing as a schoolboy and had two years remaining on a contract he signed a year ago.

Peter Kenyon, chief executive of Manchester United, said: "While we are sad to see David go after so many great years at Old Trafford, we believe this is a good deal for the club, and we now look forward to building on the success of last season's championship title."

He is the highest-profile English player to move overseas since Paul Gascoigne left Tottenham Hotspur for Italian club Lazio in 1992.

Very few British players have made a success of such a move. Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman has helped Real to two Champions League titles but remains a regular on the substitutes' bench.

Other British players including Gary Lineker, Mark Hughes (both Barcelona), Ian Rush (Juventus) and Paul Ince (Inter Milan) failed to deliver their best form in new surroundings.

Under the terms of Tuesday's deal agreement, 7.5 million euros of the total fee will be paid by Real upon completion of the sale, and 17.5 million euros over the following four years in equal instalments."

The remaining 10 million euros is conditional upon Real Madrid's performances in the Champions League.

[baretta]

Beckham is a good player at best. His free kicks are without doubt top quality, but that is it. He does not have the all round technical ability to be a success in that Real Madrid side. I will be surprised if he is still a first team regular at the end of the season.

Good Luck to him though and I hope I am wrong.

[DrunkenGoon]

Boys, all I can say is the english media is just going nuts over this. They've got pics of him at Heathrow taking off for Asia and picks of him landing there with a billion cameras around. Barca got snubbed again. Seems to happen to them every time since DiStefano [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

So what happens when Real gets a free kick just outside the box? You've got Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Zidane and Figo around the ball... The only think that can go through the goalie's mind has got to be 'sh!te'!

[Shawn]

Figo's going to the San Siro, 99%. Only question is which dressing room.