You'd better believe it

Real Madrid will sign David Beckham if it wants him

By this point, Real Madrid has convinced most of us that anything is possible.

If Florentino Perez says he wants to hire Madonna as stadium announcer, Tommy Franks as head of security, Albert Schweitzer (back from the dead!) as team physician and Stephen Hawking as team physicist, you had better believe people will take him seriously.

And why shouldn’t they?

The signings of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in the last three years leave no doubt as to the club’s modus operandi.

Identify the target. Announce it in the media. Soak up the public skepticism and fervent denials. Execute the power play and secure the player. Call the press conference.

Each of the above signings appeared remote possibilities at best, but in each case Perez got his man. All this fuels the sense of fait accompli surrounding the Madrid chairman: what he says happens, no matter how improbable.

This is why the recent speculation linking David Beckham to the Bernabeu is being treated so seriously. Inter Milan chairman Massimo Moratti, for example, has also expressed an interest in Manchester United midfielder and he certainly has the financial means (probably more than Real) to sign him. But only Real Madrid -- or, rather, Perez -- has the recent track record of achieving the highly unlikely.

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Even at these early stages, there are a number of conclusions which can be drawn.

First and foremost, such a move would not be a purely football-related one. Given the fact that Manchester United is probably the world’s richest club, Real won’t be getting any discounts, just as it didn’t with Zidane, which means the asking price -- even in today’s depressed market -- is probably going to be north of US$60 million.

On ability alone, Beckham, at 27, probably is not worth that much (Real could pick up Patrick Vieira and Alessandro Nesta -- both of whom are younger -- for less and have a much stronger team).

But Beckham is more than a player. Along with Ronaldo, he is the single biggest commercial star in the game today. His name-recognition around the world is immense, he shifts jerseys and TV deals and instantly raises Real’s profile among non-fans.

Of course, Manchester United is aware of all this which is why there are only two scenarios under which he could move to Real Madrid: if he demands a transfer or if Perez makes an offer so fantastic that it can’t be refused.

The former is highly unlikely, unless Sir Alex Ferguson goes berserk and nails him with another boot to the head. Apart from a short loan spell at Preston, Beckham has only ever worn two jerseys, England’s and United’s and he is truly attached to the club. And even if he wanted to leave, he is too image-conscious to force the club into a sale.

The latter option if more viable, especially when one considers that United is a public listed club, packed with beancounters who can place a value on everything. There is no room for sentimentality, everyone -- even Beckham -- has his price. These are the people who run models to figure out -- down to the last penny -- exactly how much money Beckham makes for the club on and off the pitch. And, if Real’s offer is high enough they will force United to take it, no matter how strenuously Sir Alex Ferguson objects.

Whether such a move makes sense for either club thus depends entirely on the price. Whether it would make sense for Beckham is another issue.

There is a large chunk of public opinion which maintains that he is over-hyped and overrated. To some degree this may be true -- it’s hard to argue that Beckham’s impact in playing terms is comparable to that of a Zidane, Raul or Christian Vieri -- but in some ways he has become victim of his own persona.

Some people, based on the fact that he is handsome, rich, famous and over-exposed seem to relish putting him down. These include portions of the English press -- who rail incessantly about his "petulance" for being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, conveniently forgetting that Zidane received a two-match ban in the same tournament for stomping on an opponent’s head -- as well as ex-players, like former United legend George Best who once claimed that Beckham was slow, one-footed and dim.

He may not be a sprinter, but he has obviously done very well in the Premiership, which is the fastest-paced league in the world. He may not be ambidextrous, but then neither was Gheorghe Hagi. And, as for him not being particularly intelligent, such statements are the typical accusations some people come up with when they don’t know what else to say.

Beckham doesn’t need me to defend him and, while I have spoken to him briefly on a few occasions, I don’t know him personally. But I do know people who know him well and every indication is that he is a natural leader, a great professional and an all-round good guy.

He hardly drinks, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t party, doesn’t father children out of wedlock, works his rear end off on the pitch and has a cabinet full of trophies and caps. What more do you want?

Moving to Real Madrid, where he would be one of many stars further away from the petty scrutiny of the tabloid media, may well make sense for his private life as well as his footballing career. He has already led United to just about every trophy imaginable, whatever debt of loyalty he may have for the club (where, lest we forget, he was underpaid for a long time) has surely been settled with dividends.

And the opportunity to play alongside many of the best players of his generation may be too good to pass up.

Of course, this is a bridge he won’t have to cross for some time. Not until the dreamers at Real and the beancounters at United reach an agreement. Only then will David Beckham be called upon to decide his future.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

GOOD WEEK: Lithuania, who grabbed a point in Germany and beat Scotland at home, keeping its Euro 2004 qualification hopes alive. Quite an achievement for the little Baltic republic which is now joint-top of Group 5

BAD WEEK: English fans, who marred their country’s emotional 2-0 win over Turkey by rioting around the Stadium of Light (dozens were arrested), invading the pitch and hitting Turkish central defender Alpay Ozalan. The behavior of both sets of players did little to calm things down. UEFA is likely to take action ahead of the return leg in Istanbul, which promises to be a heated affair.

GOOD WEEK: Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who extended his contract to 2005, ensuring he will be around to reap the fruits of the rebuilding process.

BAD WEEK: Denmark, which was beaten at home by Bosnia, 2-0 and now looks in danger of being caught up in a four-way dogfight with Norway, Bosnia and Romania in Group 2, the tightest of the Euro 2004 qualifying groups.

 

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