The Los Angeles Galaxy will listen to offers for David Beckham, but the Englishman isn't about to come cheap just because he let it be known he wants to leave.
The Galaxy has rejected an initial $10 million offer for Beckham from AC Milan, setting the stage for what should be interesting transfer talks during the next month. Beckham is set to return to the Galaxy on March 9, which gives AC Milan one more month to make an offer that they and the Galaxy can live with.
The opening offer is a decent-sized one for a player who reportedly has an out clause that would allow him to leave the Galaxy after the 2009 season. That isn't stopping Los Angeles from asking for top dollar for the 33-year-old midfielder.
What do you think of this development? Glad Los Angeles is playing hardball? Think the Galaxy will end up botching this deal? How much would you pay for Beckham if you were Milan?
Share your thoughts below.
you guys are idiots, 10mil for beckham is a good deal considering he will be able to leave in october. Whats the point in having a player that doesnt want to stay. He will be able to leave for free anyway, they should get what they can for him and let him go
Hes not disgracing the MLS, he wants to leave so he can go into the top flight leagues again so he can play in the WC. If you had the choice to play in one of the biggest clubs in the world, to play in the WC and get the record for most number of outfield england caps or play for LA. Which would you choose?
Wasn’t Beckham getting a huge amount of backend monney out of the contract? I seem to remmber his deal being worth nine figures. Hard to believe he would walk away from that.
I think CSD makes a particularly salient point here. If Jimmy Bullard (a decent-quality player who’s probably not quite as good a player as Becks, albeit a bit younger, and offers not even a tiny fraction of Becks’s marketing/merch upside) can command a $7.5 million transfer fee from a modest little also-ran club like Wigan with only half a season left on his Fulham contract, then Becks must surely be worthy of at least $15 million — especially when the suitor is a mega-wealthy superclub like AC Milan. I applaud MLS and the Galaxy for their shrewd moves so far. As long as they don’t make unreasonable demands, our humble yet lovable little domestic league should make out quite well when it’s all said and done.
Great media attention… I bet he stays and this is all a ruse.
$15 million
AC Milan at the All-Star game.
And a young Italian midfielder on loan for a season.
Close the deal.
People are assuming Becks can walk for free at the end of 2009 with his escape clause. He may have an escape clause all right, but I can just about guarantee it’s not for free.
I’m glad Galaxy are playing hardball with it. Either put up the money, Milan, or Becks is back in LA on March 9.
Let’s assume Becks will use his out clause after the 09 season.
Simple math:
Becks value as a player
+Becks projected jersey sales for ’09
+Becks projected impact on ticket sales
+Beck projected vlue to the TV contract
= equals what it wold take to let him go a year early
not a penny more
i’m actually more into seeing how this plays out than i though i would be.