Beckham continues Real deal talks

DAVID BECKHAM’S advisers will hold talks with Real Madrid today over their contract offer despite claims yesterday that the former England captain is to leave the club in the summer.

An ambiguous reply by Real’s sporting director Predrag Mijatovic to a question on Italian TV sparked reports that the club would not renew Beckham’s contract.

Urgent communication between Beckham’s camp and the club followed, and soon established that the offer was still on the table – though that is no guarantee the 31-year-old will be at the Bernabeu next season.

The delay in signing the new two-year contract is not connected to money, but whether midfielder feels he will command a regular place in the first team.

A spokesman for Beckham said: “We have spoken to the club this afternoon and as far as we are concerned a significant two-year deal remains on the table.

“We are meeting Real tomorrow and will sit down to discuss the deal further and will go from there.”

The club also confirmed there had been a misunderstanding over Mijatovic’s remarks, though as the former Yugoslavia striker has been putting pressure on the player to sign the new deal he may well have been indulging in some sabre-rattling.

Beckham is under contract with the Spanish giants until the end of June but since January 1 has been allowed to speak to other clubs, and has been linked with a move to the US.