Chelsea were reported to be ready to make a staggering £140m bid for Real Madrid’s David Beckham after hearing reports that the England captain mmigh be unsettled in Spain.
Newspapers reported that Beckham had not renewed the lease on his £4.5m home in Spain, had cancelled plans to book son Brooklyn into Madrid’s top English-speaking private school and was getting rid of his Spanish interpreter.
The buy-out figure in Beckham’s contract is £140m but reports suggest that even that huge sum would not deter Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. The Russian billionaire has already spent £120 million pounds acquiring new players since buying the London club last July. ÊÊ
Real paid Manchester £17m up front with a further £8m linked to performance.
Beckham is believed to want to return to England because his wife Victoria had been unable to settle in Spain and the club appear prepared to sanction his departure.
“What Beckham has contributed in his time here is greatly appreciated,” a Real source told the Daily Mail.
“And while we do not want to lose him, we would understand if he felt that it was impossible for him to stay.”
Asked recently whether he could rule out a summer move for Beckham, Real coach Carlos Queiroz replied: “It is the first time David has lived abroad. It’s too early to come up with an opinion about that.
‘We hope he’s settling his own life on a daily basis because it will help him concentrate. Let’s wait and see.”
