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United deny Beckham Real deal
12 April 2003
Manchester United have issued an emphatic denial to a report claiming that David Beckham will join Real Madrid in a £38million deal this summer.
The 27-year-old England captain has been linked with a move to the Spanish giants in recent weeks - and a report in the Mail on Sunday claims a deal between the two clubs is virtually done.
But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has stressed that he believes the stories linking Beckham to Real are timed to coincide with the Champions League quarter-final between the clubs and a Manchester United spokesman insisted: "This story is categorically untrue."
United's Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo fuelled the speculation before the Champions League quarter-final first leg tie at the Bernabeu - which Real won 3-1 - when he claimed Beckham had asked him about the quality of Madrid schools.
In recent years Real have always got their man with Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo recruited as the Spanish giants assembled a dream team.
Real may also have been encouraged by the dressing room incident between Ferguson and Beckham after United's 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Arsenal, which left the player sporting a cut above the eye.
If United did decide to cash in on Beckham that would give Ferguson room to manoeuvre in the transfer market.
But any temptation to sell on United's part would have to be weighed up against the prospect of a backlash from United fans reluctant to see the England captain sold to a major rival in Europe.
United deny Beckham Real deal
12 April 2003
Manchester United have issued an emphatic denial to a report claiming that David Beckham will join Real Madrid in a £38million deal this summer.
The 27-year-old England captain has been linked with a move to the Spanish giants in recent weeks - and a report in the Mail on Sunday claims a deal between the two clubs is virtually done.
But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has stressed that he believes the stories linking Beckham to Real are timed to coincide with the Champions League quarter-final between the clubs and a Manchester United spokesman insisted: "This story is categorically untrue."
United's Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo fuelled the speculation before the Champions League quarter-final first leg tie at the Bernabeu - which Real won 3-1 - when he claimed Beckham had asked him about the quality of Madrid schools.
In recent years Real have always got their man with Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo recruited as the Spanish giants assembled a dream team.
Real may also have been encouraged by the dressing room incident between Ferguson and Beckham after United's 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Arsenal, which left the player sporting a cut above the eye.
If United did decide to cash in on Beckham that would give Ferguson room to manoeuvre in the transfer market.
But any temptation to sell on United's part would have to be weighed up against the prospect of a backlash from United fans reluctant to see the England captain sold to a major rival in Europe.
