11-06-2003 17:56									#1
	Beckham going to Madrid? Inflate your Upload Space

Is Sir Alex on drugs or what! This isnt like transferring an aging/injured Gazza.

Madness

	11-06-2003 18:01									#2
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Man U have really sold Beckham down the river, even if he turns down Barca (which I think he will) the postion id pretty much untennable. They shouldv'e at least imformed the player first that they had accpted an offer before going public, the bidder isn't even president of a football club as it stands at the moment!!

	11-06-2003 18:14									#3
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There's no way he's going to Barca. It simply wouldn't make any sense for either Beckham or the catalans for him to go there. If Barca want to build a team to get themselves back in the Champions League then they are better ways to spend £30million.

I expect Becks to go to Madrid, and I think it will be a good move for both teams. £30million is a gigantic amount of money given the slump in the transfer market over the past year. If (IF) United get Ronaldinho he'll only cost them 9-12 million. They could get 3 world class players with the money they get from Beckham - players they desperately need (another Striker and a Goalie being the most important).

I think that playing in Madrid would make Beckham a better player, because of being surrounded by so many other awesome players and the experience of the continental game. Such a transfer could only be good for England, IMHO. That's assuming that Beckham is actually good enough to get in the Real team...

	11-06-2003 18:15									#4
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Joke? but Atletico/real?

	11-06-2003 18:18									#5
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ottok sighting! *waves*

He means Real Madrid.

No, it isn't a joke. The transfer isn't certain yet, but it looks very possible. The BBC website has several news items about it in the sport section.

	11-06-2003 18:41									#6
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The way they 've played it, United are going to have trouble on their hands if he doesn't go SOMEWHERE

	11-06-2003 18:45									#7
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Agreed.

	11-06-2003 18:48									#8
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Hmm... considering Real Madrid is my favorite team.. I will keep a close eye on this...

	11-06-2003 19:01									#9
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But really, Real Madrid actually doesnt need Beckham. Only if Figo was about to leave, which is not likely...

	11-06-2003 19:02									#10
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Are any of these Spanish clubs ever even gonna try to get out of debt btw?

I really hope he stays with Man U though, somehow it fits and in general not too many english players have been succesfull in Spain either.

	11-06-2003 19:03									#11
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Of course what they really need is defenders. But Real Madrid haven't had any defenders on their squad for about a decade so I don't see why they'd start now.

	11-06-2003 19:53									#12
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How much is Real offering Man Utd for him?

	11-06-2003 20:04									#13
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The figure being thrown about in the media is always around £30million. A couple of months ago people were talking about a player+cash deal involving Figo, but I haven't heard that mentioned for a while now. Can't see it happening.
It's impossible to tell what's REALLY going on, of course, since the Machiavellian politics of setting up a transfer like this is bound to obscure most of the juicy information.

	11-06-2003 20:14									#14
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I see, thanks, FP.

If I may compare this to the Zidane transfer, Juventus bought three very good players (Buffon, Thuram, and Nedved) for the money it got from Zidane.
If Ferguson and Man Utd have something similar in mind, it could be a good move (for both parties).

	11-06-2003 20:36									#15
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If I was negotiating for Madrid, I'd wait until Beckham had turned down Barca, find out what Barca bid, and bid less. Because if MANU were willing to accept (say) 30M for a player who WASN"T disillusioned, unsettled and unmotivated at the club, they'll accept less now that he is!

	11-06-2003 20:43									#16
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On the news they (bbc) said the bid now has gone up to €35 mil.
That's the Barca offering btw

	11-06-2003 20:43									#17
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Beckham has said he wants nothing to do with a move to Barcelona, according to the Grauniad:

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News...,974864,00.html

	11-06-2003 21:01									#18
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quote: Originally posted by alva On the news they (bbc) said the bid now has gone up to €35 mil. That's the Barca offering btw

Barca can offer as much as they like, if Beckhams doesn't want to go the deals dead. My tip is he goes to Madrid for less than Barcas offer

	11-06-2003 23:03									#19
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Barca doesn't have money o_O

	11-06-2003 23:11									#20
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Nor a place in the Champions' League for next season. They're crazy to try and buy Beckham and they won't be successful - even if Laporta does win the election.

	11-06-2003 23:29									#21
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I thought Madrid offered 35 Mill and ALex said he wanted 55? If he is going to Barca for 30 Mill then I'm sure that's less than Real were talking about.

	11-06-2003 23:34									#22
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What if Beckham says he doesnt want to leave? Who's more important for MU fans, Sir Alex or Beckham? One will have got to go since I cant see Beckham sitting on the bench for a year. The fans'd be rabid.

	11-06-2003 23:45									#23
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I think Beckham will go though. His contract runs out in a couple of years, that's the longest he could stay for.

	12-06-2003 02:07									#24
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quote: Originally posted by SpencerH Who's more important for MU fans, Sir Alex or Beckham?

I'm not a United fan myself, but I'm pretty sure the answer to that is Sir Alex.

	12-06-2003 12:14									#25
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UGH! all to same to mee... But?

	12-06-2003 12:21									#26
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Why would anybody wants to pay that much for Beckham anyway? He's not that great.

	12-06-2003 13:54									#27
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No he isn't.

The reason he's so valuable however (rather than great) is because the merchandising and marketing opportunities he brings to a club are huge.
Real Madrid and Barca already sell 100 Billion replica shirts each year - if they bought Beckham they'd sell an additional 100 Billion with his name on the back.

	12-06-2003 14:05									#28
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They don't sell many in Asia though, buying Becks would solve that problem.

ManU will always sell shirts in Asia, Becks or no.

	12-06-2003 15:50									#29
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Another thing to bear in mind is that Beckham is now 28 years old and that his contract runs out in 2 years.

How much will he be worth when he's 30? 31? Will he leave United for free in two years anyway?

If United can get 30+ million pounds for him they would be foolish to turn it down.

	12-06-2003 16:48									#30
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Players do play longer then they used to do though, so age certainly isn't a problem ATM.
He still has 2 years on his current contract.
Might boil down to what posh wants