[Zed.D]

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

[TriniKing_CE]

Blog: Welcome Beck

Milan claim they’ll sign David Beckham in January. Antonio Labbate reveals why Serie A should greet the Englishman with open arms


David Beckham is seemingly on his way to Milan. That’s the big news from Italy today after the club’s resident Doctor Evil, Adriano Galliani, raised his little finger to his mouth and announced that the England international would, in all likelihood, wear the Rossoneri jersey from January onwards. Altogether now, in your best Austin Powers voice: “That’s groovy baby!”

No matter which club touches your heart or whatever your opinions of David Beckham the man and the footballer are, Serie A fans in Italy and in this country should be rejoicing. In one swoop, the San Siro giants will have raised the profile of the Italian game to a level arguably not seen since the glorious 1990s.

As a PR exercise, there’s not that much wrong with luring the one-man marketing machine to the fashion capital of Europe. “We got 65,000 fans at the weekend for the Sampdoria game,” noted Galliani. “Milan is a product that people like and Beckham will see that number increase, not decrease.”

Adidas too, sponsors of Milan and Beckham, will be smiling widely this afternoon. And what about those British TV executives who snubbed the chance to secure Serie A rights despite the arrivals of Jose Mourinho and Ronaldinho? Perhaps the fragrance of Beckham will see them suddenly find the cash and the room in their schedules to give back the game that many fans on these shores lost over the summer.

On the footballing side of things, questions will inevitably be asked about the validity of such a switch. It would have undoubtedly made more sense for both parties if Beckham opted for Milan instead of LA in 2007, but it might just be a case of better late than never.

Milan’s mission to construct a living Hall of Fame may seem more like a corridor of uncertainty to some, but they have little to lose in this deal. Initial reports suggest that the club would get the 33-year-old for nothing which makes this swoop totally different from the Ronaldinho one. ‘Dinho, a player Milan didn’t need, cost around £18m. Beckham won’t.

Public opinion over his actual ability as a footballer continues to be split with some claiming he’s a myth, some a legend. I just believe that the guy knows what to do with a football and he’s humble and serious enough to accept a substitutes role, one which Fabio Capello seems to be carving out for him on the international stage. Carlo Ancelotti would do well to follow his lead.

Channel4 [atricle] ^