Beckham Is Studying Offers From MLS Clubs In New York, Miami To Take Ownership Role

David Beckham "is weighing up two offers that could see him become the owner of an emerging Major League Soccer club," according to Ben Smith of the BBC. Franchises in Miami and N.Y. have approached the 37-year-old, "who asked for the option to own an MLS club when he joined L.A. Galaxy in '07." Both clubs hope to become MLS members before '16, and both want Beckham to play a major role. Beckham says he "intends to play on for at least one more season with a number of clubs in the running," including Paris St. Germain and AS Monaco. A number of investment groups in the Middle East have expressed an interest in backing Beckham's potential ownership of an MLS franchise, as the likes of Qatar and Abu Dhabi explore the possibility of extending their global reach in football to the U.S. And "all parties can see the prospect of harnessing the marketing phenomenon that is Beckham" (BBC, 12/5).