'£25m Becks bid'

David Beckham today flew out for his promotional tour of Asia with his future still hanging in the balance.

Unconfirmed reports today claimed Real Madrid have bid £25 million for the England captain.

Barcelona already have a conditional agreement in place for Beckham accepted by Manchester United, but the player is believed to prefer a move to the Bernabeu.

Should Beckham decide on Madrid, he will be back in the Far East for the club's pre-season tour. Such a prospect would appeal judging by his comments before his departure today.

Beckham said: "I had such a good time in Asia last summer at the World Cup and have been looking forward to returning. With such great fans all across Asia I'm sure it's going to be a memorable trip."

Beckham's tour officially starts in Tokyo on 21 June before moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 24 June and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand on 25 June.

Today, Barcelona president Joan Laporta made a last-ditch attempt to capture Beckham by setting a deadline of this weekend for the player to make his mind up. Laporta has already agreed a deal with Manchester United, but he is yet to meet either the player or his SFX agents since his election.

Today's ultimatum appears to be a bid to bring negotiations to a head before SFX hold more talks with Madrid on Monday.