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He is going to wear the Rossoneri shirt, isn't he? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

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Blog: The Becks trade

The news that Milan have secured David Beckham's services has been met with widespread enthusiasm, but Paul Watson offers some words of warning

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Within 24 hours, a wild rumour had become widely accepted as fact - Beckham is on his way to Milan. On the surface, it seems to be a win-win situation. The ex-Manchester United star will finally realise his dream of wearing the Rossoneri shirt and can keep in shape for his England commitments while the Diavolo have added an extra weapon for three months without having to write a cheque.

However, I couldn't help but feel uneasy as Adriano Galliani proudly announced his latest swoop. Maybe it was because the shiny-headed transfer guru described Milan as a “product”, maybe it was because he sounded more concerned with whether Beckham would put bums on seats than whether the 33-year-old could still play. Whatever it was, the whole deal just didn't sit right.

The major worry is that the Rossoneri are in danger of becoming the San Siro State Circus. Like a mad professor, Galliani seems determined to collect football's most recognisable faces, regardless of their current condition. If Ronaldinho was a gamble, Andriy Shevchenko was shameless nostalgia and Beckham seems to be one for the sticker album.

While Serie A may regain the world's gaze with Beckham on board, the viewers will be tuning in for the wrong reasons. English, German and Spanish fans may watch, but they will do so with a slight smirk on their faces. Surely it would be much better for Milan to be seen as a hotbed of fresh talent rather than a retirement home?

Instead, the likes of Alberto Paloschi and Yoann Gourcuff have already had to leave to play their football elsewhere and the presence of Beckham will see still more fledgling starlets pushed further into the periphery - it's a trade-off the outgoing world champions can't afford to make if they want a successful future.

Milan may not have to pay a penny for Beckham, but when young talent is pushed deeper into the closet there's no such thing as a free transfer.

Channel4