What’s the deal Man Utd and Barcelona have agreed to?United have met Joan Laporta, a candidate in Barcelona’s presidential election to be held on Sunday, and accepted his offer for the transfer of Beckham.Is this a done deal?Not at all. It’s not the end, merely the beginning of the end. The deal is contingent on two points: Joan Laporta winning Sunday’s election, and Beckham subsequently agreeing personal terms with Barca. This could, in fact, be little more than Man Utd raising the stakes for the other clubs — Real Madrid, AC Milan — who’ve shown interest in Beckham. Force them to play their hand and then wait for the highest bidder. What is unusual is that United, a club obsessed with secrecy surrounding transfers, has decided to go public, and that too over a deal with a person who has no locus standi as of now.Who is Joan Laporta and what are his chances of winning?He’s a 41-year-old lawyer currently second in the race. His poll platform is bringing stars to Barcelona to revive the club (it is steeped in debt and in equally poor shape football-wise). It’s the tactic that worked for Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who has brought Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo to the Bernabeu. Laporta’s opponent is Lluis Bassat, who promises nothing more than fiscal prudency and a return to the black. Bassat’s lead has been cut drastically since Laporta played the Beckham card.Why would Man United want to sell Beckham?There are three reasons: financial, personal and footballing. Beckham’s contract with United runs out in two years’ time, when he would be a free agent: i.e., any club can sign him without any payment to Man Utd. The time to sell him is now; next year would be too late because clubs would hold out for Beckham’s contract to expire. The personal part is more complex: it’s well-known that Beckham and United manager Alex Ferguson have fallen out of late, the latter strongly critical of the former’s lifestyle and believing he puts his celebrity and life off the pitch before his duty to his players. The relationship has, apparently reached the point of no return, rather like a father who wants his son out of the house. The immediacy is prompted by the fact that Beckham’s autobiography is due out in a couple of month’s time; Ferguson, fearful of what it might reveal, wants a decision soon.The manager’s position is helped by his on-field tactics which make Beckham surplus to United’s requirements. He prefers two holding — defensive — midfielders playing behind three attacking midfielders, the latter able to move fast, dribble and effect quick, short passes. Beckham fits into neither category, which is why he watched several of Man United’s top matches last season from the subsitutes’ bench. Ferguson’s stand is that by selling Beckham, the club can buy players — Ronaldinho, e.g. — who will better fit his plan.Who’d be their first-choice buyer club?Barcelona, because that’s a straight cash deal. With Real or AC Milan, there’s the complication of exchange. Real want to swap Figo, Milan Shevchenko. Ferguson wants neither, he wants cash to buy Ronaldinho and others.Why doesn’t Beckham want to go to Barcelona?Barca are currently in an awful mess and don’t look like playing in the European tournaments next season. That will deprive Beckham the chance to shine on the biggest club-level stage.Does he have a say?To an extent, yes. United’s statement yesterday said the deal was contingent on his agreeing personal terms with Barcelona. If an offer from Real Madrid comes up, he could play hardball vis-a-vis Barca. Then United would have to buy out the two years remaining on his contract. It doesn’t get messier.Beckham’s price is $49 million. Is he worth it?Not for his footballing abilities. He can’t tackle, can’t head, is one-footed and can’t dribble. Perhaps the best crosser of the ball, and the best in a dead-ball situation but he can be shut out of a game. Not enough to justify that price tag (which is roughly what Real Madrid paid for Ronaldo last year). But his shirt-selling ability, his appeal in the expaninding Asian and African markets, is nonpareil, which is what Real, etc will be looking at. So it’s not a footballer that’s being traded, it’s a multi-media icon.Finally, who’s the winner in this?Whichever club buys Beckham will win in the shirt-selling stakes (Real want that desperately). Beckham should benefit from going to Real and playing alongside Zidane. Man United will be $49 million richer, which they can spend on new players.But the biggest winner will be Alex Ferguson. The manager, notorious for being a control freak, is walking on water right now after hauling his side to the Premiership title. Pushing through the sale of the club’s biggest icon will be further proof of the power he wields. The diabolical theory doing the rounds is that he had an ulterior motive: his close friends are bidding for a takeover of the club and selling Beckham would, it was believed, lower the club’s share price and facilitate such a transaction. Actually, the club’s share value rose 4.6 per cent after the news broke. A sign that the shareholders are backing Fergsuon’s instincts.
