AC Milan to Bid $20 million For David Beckham

Reports from England suggest that AC Milan are ready to make a £14 million bid (about $20 million) to turn David Beckham’s loan from LA Galaxy into a permanent deal.

The Italian giants are already in talks with US companies to try to lure in new sponsors to supplement the player’s wages.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said, “We want to keep him so badly. Losing him would be appalling, so we will make every effort to have him here for good.”

The England midfielder will be offered the same basic salary he gets at Galaxy—around £4.5m a year. But his overall package with Major League Soccer could prove a giant stumbling block. When Beckham agreed to join the MLS in late 2006, his contract was worth a potential £128 million over five years. With the rise of the dollar against the pound his contract is now worth an estimated £175 million.

His earnings are linked to the overall profits of the MLS and it was always unlikely he would get the maximum amounts stipulated in the contract. Yet he could still expect to pocket, on average, around £12 million a year, a wage Milan could not match.

That is why the Italians are looking at sponsors to supplement a package for Beckham, who most likely will have to accept a pay cut to join Milan for good.

If AC Milan offers $20 million for Beckham should MLS take it? Who should the Galaxy get to replace Beckham?