With no deal, Beckham set to return

LA Galaxy announce deadline passes, star to return

By Larry Morgan / MLSnet.com Staff

David Beckham (center) is expected to rejoin his LA Galaxy teammates after his loan to AC Milan expires March 9. (AP)

CARSON, Calif. -- Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, the subject of rampant speculation for weeks to be joining AC Milan as part of a permanent transfer, will not be staying with the Serie A club after all.

It was a stunning turn of events for Beckham and the team on Friday when Tim Leiweke, chief executive of Galaxy investor-operator AEG, said AC Milan failed to make a satisfactory monetary offer for Beckham's services.

There were reports out of Friday's Sun and The Daily Telegraph in England which stated Milan was prepared to pay as much as 10.5 million pounds (about US$15.1 million) for Beckham and team officials were en route to Los Angeles to continue talks. But Leiweke told the Associated Press from Vail, Colo., where he is vacationing, those reports were not true.

"We didn't receive an offer today," he said. "We will abide by the Commissioner's wishes, so we are clear at this point that we don't want to have any further conversations."

MLS Commissioner Don Garber had issued a Friday deadline under which the Galaxy and AC Milan would work out an agreement for Beckham, who had been with the Italian powerhouse on loan since Dec. 29 and has stated his desire to remain with the club. Leiweke was quoted as saying he did have some discussions with Milan officials earlier in the week but heard nothing from them on Friday.

"They clearly were looking at this as a football decision and we were looking at it as a football and business decision," Leiweke said. "I'm not sure they ever quite understood the magnitude of the losses the Galaxy and the league would have had to bear this season.

"They were very respectful discussions. We're fine. There's no issues here."

Beckham is scheduled to return to Los Angeles on March 9. Leiweke said he has not spoken with the English standout, but he did say he expected the 33-year-old to live up to his Galaxy contract, which contains an clause that would enable Beckham to leave without compensation at the end of the 2009 season.

"Clearly the risk is we may lose him at the end of the year," Leiweke said. "We need David to honor the contract and come home, and let's stop the distraction."

Larry Morgan is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.