Real offer Brazil star Ronaldinho as bait to bag Becks
Manchester United have been told by Real Madrid they will only be able to sign top target Ronaldinho this summer if David Beckham joins the Spanish giants. Real have hijacked United´s move for the Brazilian World Cup winner by offering his club, Paris St Germain, £20million - double the Old Trafford bid - in a carefully-orchestrated ploy to ensure that they ultimately land England skipper Beckham. Real have made it clear they will drop their interest and allow Ronaldinho to move to the Premiership champions - if United do not stand in the way of their attempts to take Beckham to the Bernabeu. Outgoing PSG coach Luis Fernandez, who has been at the centre of the Ronaldinho transfer saga, predicted Beckham would start next season with Real. He said last night: " It is my opinion that Beckham will join Real Madrid this summer and Ronaldinho will end up playing for Manchester United. These two players hold the key to the biggest transfer story of the summer."
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror
Life in the Real world
Given the turbulence behind his very public split with Manchester United, the lure of a move abroad for David Beckham is surely getting stronger by the day. But just what can the England captain expect, should - as now seems increasingly likely - he accepts the pull of the peseta, or, indeed, euro, and head to Madrid or Barcelona? Steve McManaman has already pioneered that journey, his trophy haul in four years with Spanish giants Real making him the most successful English footballing export of all time. For the former Liverpool midfielder, life in Madrid has been a quite unique, and often wonderful experience. Yet he readily admits that it is not all song and sangria, despite being part of the most celebrated team in world football.
David Maddock, Daily Mirror
Barthez: Life is so perfect at United
Fabien Barthez yesterday insisted he will fight for his place - even after Manchester United finally sealed a £1.8million deal for American keeper Tim Howard. Howard, 24, will sign next week from New York MetroStars after being assured of getting a passport through his Hungarian-born mother. But Barthez, 31, currently in Paris as France prepare for the Confederations Cup, insisted he had no intention of quitting Old Trafford. He said: " For me, everything is going perfectly well. " I am 200 per cent relaxed. For me, there is no debate. I still feel very happy in Manchester so I am going to stay there. There is no problem at all."
John Cross, Daily Mirror
Becks´ snub for Sir Alex
David Beckham has delivered an amazing snub to Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after getting the OBE. The England captain deliberately ignored his club boss in a carefully-worded statement in recognition of his honour. Becks, 28, is furious that Sir Alex, 61, has told United to flog him to the highest bidder. In his announcement after the Queen’s Birthday Honours were unveiled, Becks paid tribute to team-mates, family, club and country. But there was NO mention of the man he once said was a father figure to him. Beckham said: “I am honoured and privileged to have received this recognition. It is not just for me but for Manchester United, England, all of my team-mates and my family.”
Neil Custis, The Sun
We don´t need Becks
Mikael Silvestre last night broke ranks by insisting that Manchester United would NOT suffer without David Beckham. The French defender is the first Old Trafford star to publicly talk about the England skipper´s transfer. And he reckons as long as the club seal the Ronaldinho transfer, Beckham will not be missed. Silvestre insisted: " It won´t change the balance of the team very much. Ronaldinho and Beckham do not play in the same position. I have not got a clue about Beckham´s transfer but what I can say is United have always been very wise in their recruiting from one season to the next.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Madrid made for David
While Alex Ferguson has grown sick of David Beckham´s pop-star lifestyle, Steve McManaman knows a club where the England skipper would fit in just fine. Because at Real Madrid, where Macca has spent the last four years, he knows every player is treated like a movie idol. McManaman believes Becks has never shared his own ambition to play abroad but the ex-Liverpool winger admits he is not surprised Manchester United have agreed to sell their most glamorous asset. For when you have spent any length of time at Real, you know that every player has his price - Zinedine Zidane at £47million, Luis Figo at £37m and Ronaldo, a mere snip at £20m. And if Beckham becomes Real´s latest capture, his status as a front-page celeb would be matched by all of his new team-mates. Just spend an hour in the car park of Real´s training ground and you will see as many megastars as a night at the Oscars. And McManaman said: " If the results are going well, the players are treated like film stars. The Real players are the most famous people here. The likes of Raul are more famous than pop stars or movie stars.
Dave Kidd, The Sun
Ban on Becks shirt
Shirty Real Madrid chiefs are so paranoid about their bid to sign David Beckham that they have BANNED fans from having his name printed on their famous white kit. The manager of the official club shop insisted Beckham was ´the forbidden name´ when SunSport photographer Nicky Hayes asked for it on the back of a Real shirt, together with the player´s trademark No7. Spanish giants Real hope to beat off competition from arch-rivals Barcelona and European Cup winners AC Milan to land the Manchester United and England star this summer.
Dave Kidd, The Sun
Ron caught in crossfire
Real Madrid are ready to use Ronaldinho as a bargaining tool to make sure they get David Beckham. The Spanish giants are trying to hijack Ronaldinho´s move to Old Trafford by offering £5million more for him. They would then hold United to ransom with an offer to pull out of the Ronaldinho transfer - if they only do business with them over Becks. To United´s horror, Ronaldinho´s agent has now shaken hands on a deal both with United and Real over the player´s transfer as he tries to get a bidding war going. But Real, who have bid £14m to United´s £9m are using him more for their plot to land Beckham.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Ryan´s sun on bleach
Bleach boy Ryan Giggs suns himself in Portugal with his girl — and sends other tourists diving for cover. Guests by the hotel pool near Faro reckoned the Man Utd ace’s dyed blond bonce was as dazzling as his wing play. One said: “It shone in the sun like a Belisha beacon.” Ryan, 29, had his locks dyed by his auntie before his hol with Stacey Cook, 24, and their baby girl Liberty.
News staff, The Sun
