Reps for David Beckham "have been meeting in recent days with Qatar Sports Investments," which owns French club Paris St-Germain, and the Qataris are the "most likely group to take over majority ownership" of MLS Miami, according to sources cited by Grant Wahl of SI.com. This is "not a done deal yet, and the Qataris have yet to sign anything." MLS owners "would have to approve the Miami owner with a two-thirds majority." A majority stake for an MLS club is at least a 35% stake, per league rules. MLS owners "meet in mid-March, but they could approve it even sooner since they don’t need to be in the same place for that vote" (SI.com, 2/16). Beckham's group said that a "partnership deal was always planned," with PSG "among a mixture of foreign clubs and business people who have entered negotiations." The GUARDIAN's Ewan Murray reported a deal with QSI "could be concluded within a matter of weeks." Beckham will "remain as the focal point of the club, regardless of what now seems an inevitable share sale." Beckham has a connection with the French club, "having played for them 10 times in his final season" in '13 before retiring. He has "since retained close links" with QSI (GUARDIAN, 2/15).
