Barcelona 'open Beckham talks'

Manchester United were today reported to have begun talks over the sale of David Beckham.

United chief executive Peter Kenyon is understood to have met a representative of Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta in London yesterday.

As revealed by Standard Sport, Laporta has promised to sign Beckham in a £ 30million deal if he triumphs in club elections on 15 June.

Beckham will have the final say over whether or not he leaves Old Trafford, but Kenyon's willingness to meet Laporta's envoy Sandro Rosell shows United may be ready to sell.

Laporta, a wealthy Spanish lawyer, is expected to underwrite the £30m fee with his own family's fortune. The deal would make Beckham one of the world's highestpaid footballers, on a salary reported to be worth £150,000 a week. Laporta claims Barcelona have first option to buy Beckham until 30 June, which will give him two weeks to complete the transfer should he win the race to succeed Joan Gaspart.

The Laporta camp have also been in contact with Beckham's agent Tony Stephens, whom Rosell is believed to have met yesterday. By joining Barcelona, Beckham would probably have to sacrifice European football next season as the Catalans missed out on the Champions League and are outsiders to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Beckham has previously been linked with moves to Real Madrid and AC Milan, even though he said last month that he wanted to stay with United.