But if his club Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson have their way he will no longer ply his trade in England. A collection of the best stories on the Beckham transfer controversy from around the planet.

JUNE 19, 2003

Why £25m for David Beckham plc could be a Real steal
The words of Jorge Valdano, Real Madrid's sporting director, would have been like shards of ice in the heart of anyone who still believed in sport's Corinthian principles.

Farewell, then, David Beckham
In keeping with the ridiculous climate of regret over the sale abroad of one of England's prettiest footballers, we have put together this nostalgic picture archive. Just remember: he'll always be one of us.

United's Beckham offer
David Beckham was offered a new contract by Manchester United on May 14 - three days after the England captain celebrated winning his sixth Premiership title with the club, reports Mihir Bose

We say goodbye, they say ¡Hola!
The Beckhams may find it hard adjusting to Spanish life - but we'll be the ones who really suffer

Real camp reels as Beckham road show goes before him
David Beckham must have been watching closely because the England captain was yesterday hailed by Jorge Valdano, the club’s sporting director, for his willingness to put aside his own interests to complete the £25 million switch.

Becks can have my shirt
Ronaldo has told David Beckham he can have the No. 11 shirt off his back.

My tears for United
David Beckham was in floods of tears when he realised his Manchester United career was finally over.

Rio: I've lost my mate
Rio Ferdinand will miss his pal David Beckham but wishes him all the best at Madrid.

Becks might get a kick
Roberto Carlos admits he faces a battle with David Beckham for the title of Real Madrid free-kick king.

The Real wives club
A look at some of the gorgeous and glamorous soccer women who are set to rival Posh’s reign in Spain.

Best mate has chance of a lifetime
There is a sadness in seeing him go, but I do not see any reason why his move should not benefit Manchester United and David Beckham, writes Gary Neville.

Ferguson lays the blame on Posh
Sir Alex Ferguson has given his first insight into why David Beckham fell out of his plans at Manchester United, implying that he blames the midfielder's pop-star wife, Victoria, for turning him into a "different person".

Astute Ferguson one step ahead
David Beckham has gone but the unique English force that is Manchester United carries on, proud and unbowed.

Farewell, Becks, but don't expect us to shed a tear
Becks maniacs are far rarer among Manchester United fans than they seem to be outside Old Trafford.

Beckham deal leaves Madridlenos purring
He is a God in the UK and Japan and there is every sign that he may become just as big in Spain, the home of Hello! magazine and its countless glossy cousins in the prensa rosa.

Realists will recall Beckham as little better than ordinary
David Beckham leaves Manchester United with a designer bag full of medals and accolades to go with his unchallenged marketability, yet he may, if he has the time or inclination between commercial engagements, reflect that in purely football terms he was unfulfilled at Old Trafford.

'Moment of history' in the land of chocolates and motor oil
As David Beckham and his wife received an ecstatic welcome at Narita airport here yesterday it was hard to escape the conclusion that, in Japan, at least, he is bigger than the club he has left behind.

Real take half of Beckham's private deals
It was also revealed yesterday that Beckham has agreed to sign over 50% of every personal sponsorship contract he signs while with Real.

United's Beckham offer
David Beckham was offered a new contract by Manchester United on May 14 - three days after the England captain celebrated winning his sixth Premiership title.

JUNE 18, 2003

Victoria 'proud' of David
Victoria Beckham says she is "proud" of her husband David after his decision to join Real Madrid but said they were sad to be leaving Manchester.

Class act need not fear biggest stage
There are those who argue that David Beckham's remarkable abilities will atrophy in the dressing room of all the talents that is Real Madrid, that he will struggle to make the bench of a team containing so many galacticos. Nonsense.

A victory for Ferguson over the cult of the individual
David Beckham is joining Real Madrid for one reason alone. It's because he and Sir Alex Ferguson have come to loathe each other, writes Paul Hayward.

Adios, amigos
Manchester United last night confirmed David Beckham's departure to Real Madrid in a cut-price deal that will earn them a maximum of £24.5 million. Potentially, it could be considerably less

England captain bound for Madrid
Real Madrid have secured the signature of Becks in a four-year deal that will cost them £25m. So that's that then.

How Madrid got their man

The hard part starts now for the exiled icon
Now we know for sure that David Beckham is going to Real Madrid, the principal emotion must be one of concern.

Madrid to offer ultimate test of Beckham's credentials
England captain must convince doubters he is worthy of playing alongside Zidane and Ronaldo in stadium that is familiar with greatness.

Golden couple can expect to have a ball in new home
Madrilenos are a proud bunch, not given to getting all worked up about their famous new neighbours. Madridistas, as followers of el Real are known, are even more phlegmatic than the British and with more reason.

Midfield roving role or Figo's place are there for the taking
Real with Beckham: Fitting in with the Bernabeu superstars

Beckham powers the drive east
When David Beckham emerges from his aircraft at Narita airport today and walks down the steps he will immediately turn himself into a one-man industry rated at as much as £70m a year.

Fans vent anger at Beckham price
United could receive as little as £7m this season as deal cost is spread

Beckham's roll of United honours

Thanks all round at parting of ways
The story behind the relationship between the Real Madrid bound David Beckham and his manager Sir Alex Ferguson will probably have to wait until their next autobiographies appear but yesterday they parted with a bout of mutual admiration.

Both sides happy but Real deal has potential for embarrassment
Was David Beckham ruthlessly cast aside by the club he has supported since knee high to his hero, Bryan Robson, or was he doing the dirty all along and two-timing with Real Madrid?

Old Trafford needs new faces to justify transfer
United post Beckham: Ronaldinho Ferguson's target.

JUNE 17, 2003

Be a star at Barca, Cruyff tells Becks
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes David Beckham should choose the Nou Camp over Real Madrid next season -- if he wants to be the centre of attention.

Cut-price Beckham a Real steal
Manchester United are preparing to reach a compromise and drop their valuation of David Beckham in the hope of accelerating his departure to Real Madrid.

Beckham circus leaves Barca giddy
Joan Laporta is president of Barcelona because he said that he could bring Beckham to the club.

Transfer talk right off the agenda during Beckham's Asian roadshow
The public relations firm handling Beckham's appearance in Ho Chi Minh City on June 25 said that Beckham would be off limits to the foreign press.

Barca keen to conclude Becks deal
Barcelona will pull out of their bid to sign David Beckham unless they get a positive response from the England captain by the weekend.

Japan trends it like Beckham
The Beckham story is similarly big in other parts of Asia, but it is in Japan that the love affair with Beckham is among the most intense.

FSA to look into Beckham affair
The Financial Services Authority said it was "conducting preliminary inquiries" after the club discussed the possible sale of David Beckham in the media last week before telling the Stock Exchange.

JUNE 16, 2003

I never promised to deliver Beckham - Barcelona chief
The new Barcelona president Joan Laporta claims he "never promised" to bring David Beckham to the Spanish giants.

Antic: I don't know if Becks will sign
`There has never been a doubt about Beckham's quality. But I don't know if he will sign. Everything is so confused,' said the Barca coach.

Roy Keane also behind Beckham's likely exit?
The Guardian reported that, in truth, Beckham not only had Ferguson against him, he had also fallen out of favour with United captain Roy Keane.

Manchester United Looks to Flair as Beckham Era Fades
As Manchester United fans face up to the probability of starting the England soccer season without David Beckham, the club's lower-profile stars are looking ahead to the prospect of playing alongside Brazilian flair.

Hasta la vista, Beckham
He may be painted as the baddie but Sir Alex Ferguson's reasons for cashing in on Beckham have footballing foundation, says John Brewin.

Down to the wire
Real Madrid are favourites to land La Liga and Beckham, writes Phil Ball.

Too sexy for his shirt
Beckham is much more than a footballer - and his manager can't deal with that.

Beckham to decide move, not United
Manchester United will not be allowed to control the destiny and future employers of David Beckham, according to the player's agent, Jon Holmes.

Beckham has been treated 'abysmally' - Best
George Best has criticised Manchester United over their treatment of David Beckham.

JUNE 15, 2003

Stam says Beckham has no option but to leave Utd
'Once Ferguson decides you are no longer part of his plans for whatever reasons, there is no turning back,' former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam told a British Sunday newspaper

The Beckham soap opera
If Buckingham Palace flogged the Crown Jewels to wandering gypsies, there would not be half as much fuss in the British press as the brouhaha surrounding the selling of the national asset that is David Beckham.

A game of two pieces
Andrew Alderson examines a murky game in which Beckham is a pawn and Sir Alex Ferguson undoubtedly the king.

Did Beckham deal bend market rules?
Manchester United is being probed by financial watchdogs over its announcement last week that the club has accepted a conditional offer for David Beckham

Beckham is back...but not for long
But he refused to answer questions about his controversial £30milion transfer from Manchester United.

Beckham: I'll play for nothing to stay with Man Utd
The England captain says he would rather quit the game than leave Manchester United. The News of the World says Beckham made his admission to close friend Dave Gardner.

JUNE 14, 2003

Poll position gives Laporta slight advantage
Today is the traditional "day of reflection" on the eve of tomorrow's Barcelona presidential election and there will be much to reflect on after a poll...

United's stall sits uncomfortably in the European marketplace
A common refrain from Sir Alex Ferguson is that Manchester United are no longer the feather-dusters of Europe...

Confident Real plan low bid to snare Beckham
Manchester United's concerns about being forced into a cut-price deal for David Beckham were growing yesterday when...

Unwise to buy Becks
Barcelona presidential candidate Lluis Bassat, feeling the pressure from main rival Joan Laporta, insisted on Thursday that buying David Beckham 'would...

United not looking at huge losses
Manchester United is bigger than David Beckham. That is the conclusion of analysts and investors, who say the probable...

Beckham producing boredom
As the David Beckham transfer saga continues into what feels like its third year, and with no...

Battle for Beckham leaves soccer field behind
The battle to sign English soccer star David Beckham has all the trappings of a corporate takeover...

Can Beckham bend it like Beckham?
A probable transfer for British super soccer star, David Beckham has his fans and sponsors agog...

JUNE 13, 2003

Beckham faces transfer D-Day
Real Madrid are understood to have scheduled a meeting with David Beckham's advisors on 23 June.

Beckham moves closer to Spanish decision
Reports in Spain yesterday suggested that David Beckham had already met officials from Real, the firm favourites to sign him, with another rendezvous said to be planned for June 23.

Real line up Beckham talks
Real Madrid stepped up their pursuit of David Beckham yesterday, when it emerged that the Spanish side expect to meet the player's advisers on June 23 for a transfer summit that will include the club's chief deal-maker, Jorge Valdano, writes Sam Wallace

Milan back out of Beckham reckoning
The fashion emporia that run the length of the Via Montenapoleone were last night counting the cost of Milan's announcement they would not be bidding for David Beckham.

Where first past the post can mean back to Blighty
Ron Atkinson: After dealing with Atletico Madrid, nothing surprises me about the presidential shenanigans at Spanish clubs.

How big is David Beckham in Asia?
But as British soccer superstar David Beckham limbers up for his possible new club, sponsors and marketing gurus are analyzing the financial impact.

Hair today
David Beckham the trendsetter

Jordi backing old pal
David Beckham's proposed Barca switch has Cruyff seal of approval

Beckham would ruin us
Barca'a Lluis Bassat says buying Becks would be a financial disaster

We want shirt off your Beck
David Beckham has been told he can have the No7 shirt off AC Milan hero Andrei Schevchenko's back.

Becks wants Milan
AC Milan have been secretly negotiating to sign David Beckham for the last two months

For English Fans, Soccer Could Lose Its Spice
If the soccer star David Beckham leaves England, along with his exotic hairstyles, his feuds with his boss, his multitude of endorsements, his fancy sarongs and his slinky fashion plate of a wife, what will there be left for people here to discuss?

Becks can 'complete Real jigsaw'
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was still refusing to utter the words David Beckham today, but it seems certain that the England captain is on his mind if not his lips.

Beauty and his boots
Saddam Hussein? Nowhere to be found. The Governor-General? Gone. John Howard? Staying. Simon Crean? One way or another, we should be put out of our misery on Monday. But what of David Beckham?

Becks demand £8M pay-off
Manchester United will be forced to make an £8million pay-off to David Beckham after agreeing to sell him behind his back.

Centre Fold
Real Madrid last night stepped up their campaign to woo David Beckham by offering the Manchester United outcast the dream role he has always coveted.

JUNE 12, 2003

Is Beckham a pawn in the game?
Manchester United may have accepted a £30m bid for David Beckham from Barcelona, but he probably won't go there. Where he ends up depends as much on the business he generates as his talent.

£34m for Beckham too much to refuse
Man United may be unable to resist staggering offer to secure England captain.

Is Spain ready for Posh's knickers? (registration required)
Never in the history of Anglo-Spanish relations, not since the attempt by Philip of Spain to marry Elizabeth I, has there been a moment so pregnant with the possibility of diplomatic disaster.

United no longer
It started with a flying boot. Now the row between Beckham and Ferguson could end in the exile of the world's most famous footballer. Tom Bower says the humiliation of a national hero illustrates the rotten state of the game in Britain.

Old Trafford band of brothers prepare for split
Ferguson’s decade of domination at Old Trafford has been built on a crop of players -- Beckham, Ryan Giggs Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and brothers Gary and Phil Neville -- nurtured at United in the early 1990s.

Beckham would struggle in Spain
Barcelona defender Patrick Andersson says there are 'at least 20 players better in the world' than the Man United star.

Spanish stars fear being eclipsed
Zidane, Figo and Ronaldo will all be looking over their shoulders with the news that 'El Beckham' could be signing for Barcelona.

Ghost of absent captain is omnipresent
One reason for the fact that Beckham dominated the England versus Slovakia match, as Banquo’s ghost dominated Macbeth’s banquet, was the transfer saga.

Sold 'like a second-hand car'
Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, reacted with disbelief at the way Man United handled the situation.

Sven: Becks gets special treatment
He can't be treated same as the others, says the England manager.

Beckham sale is the Real deal
BBC Sports' Martin Lawrence is not surprised that Beckham is on his way out of Man United.

Real ready to bid for Beckham (registration required)
The battle to sign Beckham has turned into a struggle between Spain's two greatest clubs after Real Madrid expressed a serious interest in the England captain for the first time.

We really don't want to lose you, but we think you ought to go
The Guardian's Julie Burchill says it's time for Beckham to wave goodbye.

Decide it like Beckham
Moving home should be a family affair.

Beckham transfer is a Real soap opera
The focus of Europe’s favourite soap opera, The Beckhams, shifted to Madrid.

Celebrity Beckham's everyman appeal at risk
The hysteria that follows Beckham threatens to overwhelm him.

JUNE 11, 2003

One David Beckham...?
Does the England footballer, fashion icon, doting dad, accessory husband and national treasure employ body doubles to maintain his stratospherically high profile?

We've all created this monster
Beckham has been built up too far, says the Mirror.

Beckham's future
The Times football correspondent considers the scenario.

Dear Mr David Beckham, sir...
Don’t do it, David. Really, really, don’t do it. They don’t really want you -- they just want your name to get votes.

Doc says Becks won't go
Ex-United manager Tommy Docherty doesn't believe Beckham will sign for Barcelona, despite Man United accepting a bid from the Nou Camp club.

The inside track on Beckham's move
What is really going on in the Beckham transfer saga?

Will Beckham Bend and Move to Barcelona?
Again, England is convulsed. Beckham's long career at Man United may be ending, and news about one of the world's highest-paid and highest-profile soccer stars is spooling incessantly, like a reel of the popular film bearing his name.

Real 'ready for Beckham swoop'
Real Madrid are believed to be ready to hijack Barcelona's move for Beckham, says the BBC Sport web site.

'The England captain needs to perform on the greatest stage'
The day after the nation is told not to think about euros, Beckham has everyone thinking about 38 million of them, says The Telegraph.

Beckham's true worth
Should Man United sell Beckham? According to a new study, the move makes complete financial sense for the club.

Fans braced for Beckham exit
Man United supporters are resigned to losing Beckham -- but believe his transfer will prove a drawn-out affair.

James Lawton: I'm sorry, but I won't miss David Beckham
The trouble with the relentless growth of Beckham's celebrity is that it is so contrived

Beckham in 'political pawn' row
The rift between Man United and Beckham opened further when the player's advisers attacked the club for accepting an offer of about £30 million from Joan Laporta -- the second favourite in Barcelona's presidential race

What the Spanish papers say
Beckham will play for Real Madrid, not Barcelona next season...

Fans back Fergie
Man United have stabbed Beckham in the back by trying to force him into a money-spinning move to Barcelona that he does not want, British newspapers claimed on Wednesday.

Beckham bidding war begins
Let the bidding commence!