MILAN, Feb 21 - AC Milan do not want to increase
their offer to sign David Beckham permanently from Los Angeles
Galaxy, club chief executive Adriano Galliani has said.
The England midfielder has been impressive during a
two-month loan at the San Siro and Milan made an initial offer
to keep him full-time earlier this month. Galaxy rejected the
bid, which media reports have put between $3 million and $6.3
million.
The 33-year-old wants to stay with Milan and has a get-out
clause in his Galaxy contract for the end of the next Major
League Soccer season. Milan therefore do not see why they should
pay more, with Galaxy hinting they want $12 million.
"I don't intend to cause controversy, I thank Galaxy for
having let us have Beckham on loan in these months. I absolutely
won't (increase the offer). I have the experience to know the
price of a player," Galliani told Gazzetta dello Sport's website
(www.gazzetta.it) on Saturday.
"Milan made an offer that was right for a 'loan' of around
eight months because...on November 30 David can free himself
from his contract for nothing," Galliani said.
MLS originally said a deal had to be done by Feb. 13 but
Milan ignored the deadline and said last Friday could be the
decisive day.
However, a Milan director's trip to Los Angeles was
cancelled on the request of Galaxy and the Serie A club instead
began to hope that a deal could be concluded early this week.
If a compromise is found then Beckham is likely to be
offered a Milan deal up to June 2010.
His current loan is until March 9 when Galaxy expect him
back for the start of the new MLS season. However, technically
the loan is until June meaning a deal can take place outside of
the January transfer window.
Given the impasse in negotiations, media reports have begun
to speculate that Beckham will go back to Galaxy for a few
months before returning to Italy.
He said recently it would be difficult for him to go back.
(Reporting by Mark Meadows, editing by Alison Wildey)