Sydney, Nov 22(ANI): Football Federation Australia (FFA) boss David Gallop has claimed the prospect of David Beckham playing in the Australian-League is still on, and added that it shows the health of the competition.
Melbourne Heart, Central Coast Mariners and Perth Glory all remain keen to sign the 37-year-old, and it would most likely be for a guest stint of about 10 games, with an asking price of at least two million pounds needed to make it happen.
Gallop admits he is not aware of any further progress, though he says there is plenty of interest from clubs keen to sign a star who straddles the line between footballer and paparazzi magnet.
But the FFA appears set on allowing clubs to negotiate in the first instance, with any contribution from its marketing budget likely to be an added sweetener rather than a significant component of any deal.
"At this stage, dialogue is still happening between some of our clubs and his camp, but the important thing about this is a player of his status is even considering being part of our competition," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Gallop, as saying.
"It's a great sign of the position the A-League's in. If it comes to pass, great. But we're not counting our chickens in relation to it yet," he added.
"I haven't been involved (directly in discussions) but I know some of our clubs are very interested," he said.
Beckham finishes his stint with Los Angeles Galaxy early next month, and would be available to play in the A-League from January, the midway point of this season's competition. (ANI)
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