Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham has been linked to a move to play in the A-League. Source: AP
SUPERSTAR David Beckham is looking for a long-term move to the A-League, not just the 10-game guest stint reported yesterday.
As revealed exclusively on The Australian's website yesterday, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England international's management recently sounded out the possibility of playing in the national competition this season when his contract with US Major League club LA Galaxy ends on December 1.
After Football Federation Australia put out a release yesterday confirming the interest from Beckham, the megastar's management backed away from the story.
However Beckham, reported to be on $6.5 million a season with Galaxy, is looking for a new challenge after five seasons in the US.
At this stage, it would likely be on a 10-match guest player basis, but former Manchester United teammate and now Fox Sports analyst Mark Bosnich revealed Beckham is looking at a long-term move. "I think you'll find he is seriously looking at both options," Bosnich, who won a a title and a World Club championship with Beckham during their days at Manchester United, told The Weekend Australian. "The guest stint would be the starter, then a more permanent move. I can assure you that is 100 per cent what he is looking at."
Prominent Australian-based agent Lou Sticca, who helped bring Beckham to Australia with LA Galaxy for exhibition matches against Sydney FC (2007), Newcastle Jets (2009) and Melbourne Victory last season and played a huge part in bringing Alessandro Del Piero to Sydney FC this season, is the man responsible for putting the deal together. Football Federation Australia, which is understood to have alerted clubs to the Beckham proposal, confirmed late yesterday it had received an approach from an agent acting on behalf of Beckham.
"Discussions are at an early stage and FFA is exploring the options available," an FFA spokesman said last night. "Beckham is a superstar on the world stage and he would be another massive signing but this approach remains at a very preliminary stage."
To throw confusion into the situation Sky Sports in England contradicted FFA's statement by quoting spokesman for Beckham saying : "There's always enormous interest from clubs across world in signing David but there are absolutely no plans to play in Australia."
While declaring they would love to have Beckham, some A-League clubs were cautious.
Western Sydney executive chairman Lyall Gorman was at pains to play down the possibility his club is the front-runner to secure Beckham. Melbourne Heart and Western Sydney are favourites with betting agencies while Brisbane Roar is also considered a possible candidate.
Melbourne Victory coach Ange Postecoglou has already ruled out signing the midfielder who is famous for his freakish ability to score from free kicks.
"That's great if he is interested in coming to the A-League. Would we be interested? No," Postecoglou said.
Victory is the best supported club in the competition, but it is understood Postecoglou believes a 10-match guest stint would be more of a disruption.
The Wanderers are owned by FFA and would be well placed to sign him, though the thought of the head body providing the funding would likely not sit well with some clubs.
"We have not had a formal approach," Gorman said. "This is all speculative. If and when we do consider it, our philosophy is that the first point of call is the football department and whether there is a case for it from a football perspective. If there is then we will look at it on commercial basis and then it would go to the board."
One issue against the Wanderers' chances is that their home ground, Parramatta Stadium, only holds 20,000.
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