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SPORTS> Soccer
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Determined Beckham eager to push through move
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-17 11:44 Beckham is disillusioned by the standard of US soccer but buying out his contract is not the image he wants to purvey. "I'm always professional so we'll have to wait and see when the final decision is made," Beckham told reporters on Sunday when asked if he would go back to Galaxy if he had to.
Milan must also be tired of the negotiations given they have come quickly after the Kaka saga, where Manchester City were willing to pay a world record fee of around 100 million euros before talks collapsed and the Brazilian said he would stay. Italian media pilloried City for their perceived lack of negotiating skills while the English club criticised Milan. Rossoneri chief executive Adriano Galliani has said this time that Galaxy used the arbitrary MLS deadline as a "tactic". Whether Galaxy's style has been seen as clever or naive, the idea of Beckham going back to Los Angeles in March and returning to Serie A at a later date is not appealing to Milan or Beckham. He has become an integral part of the team and they do not want to lose him at the business end of the season, albeit with the club virtually out of the Serie A title race. It would be risky too for Beckham, not least for his England prospects. Someone would also have to take his Milan place while he is gone and he could struggle to win back a starting spot, especially with Gennaro Gattuso coming back from a knee injury. Beckham's family, happy in LA, adds another variable to the complex tale but clarity should be achieved in the next few weeks.
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