Becks’ number up as Madrid score with 50% of new signing’s image rights

DAVID BECKHAM is set to wear the No 11 jersey at Real Madrid – after it was revealed he has agreed to fall in with the club’s policy on player sponsorship contracts.

Ronaldo currently wears the shirt but looks likely to swap it with number nine as Fernando Morientes appears to have a bleak future at the Bernabeu.

Sporting director Jorge Valdano said: “Beckham will have the number that remains free at the end of the season, just like the other players did.”

Beckham has agreed to Madrid’s demand that they receive 50% of every player’s personal contracts from any deals.

It is understood at United that Beckham was paid £20,000 out of a wage of £90,000 per week, in exchange for his image rights, although that did not include his personal sponsorship deals.

But he has now agreed to hand over 50% of all future sponsorship contracts for products he might agree to endorse.

Beckham has also assured Valdano that trips such as his present one to the Far East will be restricted to the close season.

He is currently in Japan on the first leg of a four-nation promotional tour. He moves on to Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Valdano discussed image rights at length with the England captain. “It was the key to the negotiations,” he said.

“We demand 50% of our players image rights. We consider this issue indispensable because the other players have followed this policy.

“In the case of Beckham it was more complicated because his potential image is very impressive, but the

player agreed.

This agreement marked the player’s wish to come to Real Madrid even by losing money. His personal publicity is 111 hours per year and he manages to do this during his holidays.”

The transfer will be completed on July 2, following a medical in Madrid.

“Beckham is a great professional,” said Valdano. “He loves football and he dedicates himself to his profession exclusively. Getting David Beckham for Madrid will make us a better club and a better team.

“As a club we will have a better presence, a better image and we are going to do our best to incorporate into our club a player who is very gifted technically.

“Basically he’s a businessman-type player and we hope to close the deal shortly. This will make us a much better team in quality.

“The reason why we’ve come out and said we’ve got Beckham now is to basically maintain a good relationship with Manchester.

“We were never nervous about not getting him. He was always interested. This meant the deal was closed faster.”

The deal is expected to be completed next month if satisfactory payment guarantees are agreed.

Madrid will pay an initial £5.25million upon completion of the sale and £12million over four years in equal instalments.

The remaining £7million is conditional on Real’s performances in the Champions League. Under the deal £875,000 would be payable every time Real qualify for the Champions League over four years with another £875,000 every time they get to the quarter-finals over the same period.

United insisted on this type of agreement after Lazio defaulted on the payments for Dutch defender Jaap Stam following his transfer to Italy.

They wanted an assurance that Madrid would come up with the cash.

Real Madrid believe they have completed a shrewd bit of business. In fact president Perez believes he has the easiest job in football when it comes to persuading players to move to the Bernabeu.

“We don’t really make any big efforts,” he said. “It’s just that there are players who want to come to Madrid. “At the moment it’s a very attractive proposition.

“Last year, Ronaldo wanted to leave Inter and this year Manchester United and Beckham reached an agreement for their paths to separate, but only to play exclusively with Real Madrid.

“It was a bit of good luck.”