MANCHESTER United’s concerns about being forced into a cut-price deal for David Beckham were growing yesterday when it emerged that Real Madrid’s opening offer for the England captain will be around £14 million plus the choice of one of their fringe players. Officials at Old Trafford had already expressed fears over Real’s recent track record with big transfers and the news that the Spanish club intend to land Beckham on the cheap has merely confirmed their worst suspicions.

United have already accepted an offer worth £30 million from Barcelona, which is contingent on Joan Laporta’s success in tomorrow’s presidential elections, but it is clear that Beckham has no interest in such a transfer — at least while moving to Real or AC Milan remains a possibility. Real are aware that they would be his first choice and believe that United will be forced to drop their valuation once Beckham, who was due to return from a holiday in America yesterday, has made his intentions clear.

Milan remain interested, despite issuing several denials over the past seven days, but it is Real who have emerged as the overwhelming favourites to sign Beckham. Although United are reluctant to accept other clubs’ cast-offs, preferring to deal in hard currency, Real will offer them players from a list that includes Geremi, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, and, rather misguidedly, Steve McManaman. Claude Makelele, the France midfield player, could prove a far more effective bargaining tool.

SFX, Beckham’s advisers, issued a statement on Tuesday to express his displeasure at being “used as a pawn in the Barcelona presidential elections”, but perhaps the ultimate pawn in this complicated saga is Ronaldinho, whom United hope to sign from Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazil forward’s agent has agreed contracts with both Barcelona and Real, as well as United, with Real threatening to proceed with the deal unless they sign Beckham on their own terms.

The likelihood remains that Beckham will move to Madrid, with Ronaldinho taking his place at Old Trafford, as Luis Fernandez, the outgoing PSG coach, forecast yesterday. Roberto Assis, Ronaldinho’s agent and brother, also offered some encouragement — “it’s still quite possible Roni will go to Manchester” — but the process lost further momentum yesterday when a meeting between the Brazilian and his employers, at which he was expected to request a transfer, was moved to next week.

Similarly inconclusive was a meeting between Harry Kewell, a target for United as well as Arsenal, and Professor John McKenzie, the Leeds United chairman. Kewell has been offered a two-year extension to his contract at Leeds, which expires next summer, but is thought unlikely to accept, with Arsenal his favoured destination unless he can move to Italy or Spain. “It will be some weeks before we can finalise anything,” McKenzie, who will have no alternative but to sell if Kewell rejects the offer, said.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, is eager for the wheels to be set in motion, with Beckham’s departure the key to the process, but he will have at least £10 million to spend in any case. A new goalkeeper — in addition to Tim Howard, who will arrive from the New York/New Jersey MetroStars — is a priority, although Fabien Barthez claimed yesterday that he would be happy to stay and fight for his place.

With deals planned for six players — two goalkeepers, a central defender, Ronaldinho, Kewell and David Bellion, the Sunderland forward — Ferguson wants Beckham to be sold as soon as possible, ideally to Barcelona. Numerous sources close to the England captain have said that he has no interest in moving to Catalonia at present, given that he would face at least one season without Champions League football, but that he could change his mind later in the summer if the Real option has failed to materialise.

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