Chelsea, Spurs and AC Milan Said to be Interested in Beckham

With England's qualification for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa looking virtually assured, David Beckham will undoubtedly be eager to give himself the best possible chance of representing his country in the tournament.

As he will be 35 years of age by the time next year's World Cup comes along Beckham will know that it is highly probable, if not quite certain, that it will be the last opportunity he has to compete at the very pinnacle of a sport he has graced for some 17 years. The question he now has to ask himself is whether his ambition to continue wearing the England shirt will be best served by his presence in the professional soccer league in the USA. It is possibly a question he has already answered by his decision to return to Europe earlier this year, spending six months on loan to AC Milan in the Italian Serie A. A decision he acknowledged that had much to do with ensuring that he remained in the thoughts of the England coach Fabio Capello. For all the game of soccer has continued to grow in the USA the country's Major League Soccer (MLS) is still considered somewhat short of the quality that is present in the European leagues. Indeed Fabio Capello is said to have made clear to Beckham that playing in the MLS is really not an option if he wishes to be considered for a place in the England squad. There is also another factor casting a shadow over Beckham's MLS career. Whilst it was hoped that his move to the USA would generate more interest in the game there, that move is now in danger of turning sour. His team mate at Los Angeles Galaxy, USA national team captain Landon Donovan, has heavily criticized Beckham's level of commitment to his club side. Indeed the American soccer fans may be starting to share Donovan's opinion of Beckham if the booing that marked his appearance for the Galaxy in their recent 3-1 victory over New York Red Bulls is any indication. In addition, according to the Daily Mail, the crowd that watched the game was some 40,000 less than the crowd that watched his MLS debut two years ago. A distinct waning of interest it seems. If the USA is indeed witnessing the curtain going down on David Beckham's time there, people throughout the soccer world will want to know where his career will take him next. There are doubtless many professional soccer clubs in Europe that would jump at the chance to sign Beckham, but three main contenders appear to be emerging. The first contenders are AC Milan. His move to Italy on loan, he was there between January and July, was a successful one and it was only the breakdown in negotiations between Milan and LA Galaxy that prevented it from becoming a permanent move. But Milan's Brazilian coach Leonardo has still not given up hope of signing Beckham. His admiration for the man who holds the record for the number of appearances as an outfield player for England, 112 in total, is obvious from the comments attributed to him by the London Times:

David is a very intelligent player. He helped us so much when he wore our shirt

But two clubs in England are said to be ready to compete with Milan for Beckham's signature. Firstly there is Chelsea, the club backed by the wealth of the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. As well as allowing Beckham to live in London, something his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Adams AKA Posh Spice, would likely prefer, the current Chelsea manager is Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian, who arrived at Stamford Bridge in June, was Head Coach during Beckham's loan spell at AC Milan and the fact that the two men appeared to work well together on a previous occasion will be a big plus in Chelsea's favor. Tottenham Hotspur are the third club reportedly interested in Beckham. Their manager Harry Redknapp has previously indicated that he would welcome the chance to sign Beckham and the club's location in North London certainly does not harm Redknapp's chances of getting his man. Spurs may not have enjoyed the same success as Chelsea in recent years but if they can offer Beckham a regular place in their starting line-up that may be enough to entice him to White Hart Lane. When he left Manchester United in 2003 it seemed that English club soccer may well have seen the last of David Beckham. But now, if what the Daily Mail has reported him as saying is true, that situation could so easily change:

Never say never. I'd definitely consider it. 'When I left, my heart was in Manchester - I couldn't see myself playing against United. Now I wouldn't rule it out.

The MLS season is due to run until November but if Beckham finds that the fans are turning against him he could head back to Europe much earlier than that date. Perhaps even before the 2009/10 season starts in August. Sometimes David Beckham may have given the impression that his off-field activities were more important than what he does once he is out on the pitch. But the fact that three such prestigious clubs are supposedly keen to sign him, when he is arguably quite a way beyond his peak, speaks volumes for the respect many have for him as a player.