David Beckham’s Miami football club is in talks with Paris St. Germain "about the sale of an equity stake," according to Ewan Murray of the London GUARDIAN. Miami Beckham United, the ownership vehicle behind a proposed Major League Soccer team in the Florida city, is seeking a partner to what an insider has described as “lightening the load” of bringing the project to fruition. MBU insists a partnership deal was always planned, with PSG "among a mixture of foreign clubs and business people who have entered negotiations." The deal "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." PSG’s majority shareholder is Qatar Sports Investments. 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 Qatar" (GUARDIAN, 2/15). The BBC reported sources close to the proposed deal say Qatar Sports Investment is "just one of many interested groups." MBU has "struggled to find a suitable site to build a stadium" but is aiming to join the MLS in '18. In a statement, MBU said, "As Miami Beckham United lays the groundwork for launching a world class soccer club in Miami, our team has attracted interest from a number of potential partners" (BBC, 2/15).
