Beckham stays at United, says chief

Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon expects David Beckham to be at Old Trafford next season despite persistent reports linking him to Real Madrid.

The Spanish side have denied any interest in signing the England captain unless he wants to leave the newly-crowned Premiership champions.

And, asked if he believes Beckham will still be a United player for the title defence, Kenyon told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Of course we do and I’m sure David feels the same.”

The reports, fuelled by Alex Ferguson’s decision to drop Beckham for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Madrid and the player’s less than unequivocal statements, is a source of frustration for Kenyon.

He added: “It’s unfortunate for David and it’s not been good for the squad to have all this speculation.”

While ruling out Beckham’s exit, Kenyon admitted there will likely be some new faces around Old Trafford next season.

“The squad will always need freshening up,” he added.

“What keeps us at the top is maintaining a squad that will keep us at the top.”

United were handed the title when Leeds pulled off a surprise 3-2 win over Arsenal at Highbury, ending the championship race before the final day of the season.

“It’s a fabulous achievement and let’s offer congratulations to the manager and the team,” Kenyon said.

“I followed it at home which was pretty nerve wracking.”

Kenyon was grateful for the efforts of Leeds, traditional rivals of United. “It’s nice to see Leeds staying up and that’s good for them,” he added. “They’re a Premiership team and they deserve to stay up.”