Doubts over Beckham move to Madrid

MADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman doubts Manchester United star David Beckham will join the Spanish giants this summer.

“Beckham only renewed his contract with Manchester United a short while ago. He is a good friend of mine, he is an excellent person and a great football player, but I don’t pay much attention to rumours,” McManaman said in an interview with the sports daily As yesterday. McManaman added that if Beckham moved to Madrid, he would find his right-sided midfield position already occupied by Portuguese international Luis Figo. “It would be difficult. They both play in the same position and Luis is a good friend of mine as well as being a fantastic player,” he said.

The speculation about Beckham began last week when Madrid’s sports director Jorge Valdano said the midfielder “would fit into our project”. Madrid president Florentino Perez, who since his election in 2000 has signed Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in successive summers, described the transfer talk on Monday as “unfounded” and said it showed disrespect to both the English club and his own players. However, the leading Spanish daily Marca added to the rumours yesterday, claiming that Beckham and his wife, the former Spice Girl Victoria, were already looking at schools in Madrid for their first son Brooklyn.

McManaman also said that Madrid was the favourite in the glamorous Champions League quarterfinal encounters against Beckham’s side on April 8 and 23. “We have the best team in the world. However, it will be difficult and the hardest thing will be to play at Old Trafford. The crowd there pressurise you a lot,” the former Liverpool player said. McManaman, whose contract with Madrid runs until the end of next season, gave no hint of his future plans.