Soccer player David Beckham is "weighing up two offers that could see him become the owner of an emerging" MLS club, according to Ben Smith of BBC SPORT. Prospective MLS 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 the Galaxy in '07. Both clubs are "hopeful they will become MLS members before 2016, and both are keen for Beckham to play a major role." The prospect of an ownership role is "something Beckham has been keen to explore since moving to the US." While a stake in the Galaxy "remains an option, it is two other offers that are understood to be more attractive to Beckham." 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 United States" (BBC.co.uk, 12/5). In West Palm Beach, Hal Habib notes MLS Commissioner Don Garber has "made it clear that a second club in the New York market, giving the league 20 teams, is a priority." Garber has said that he would "like to see a team in Miami." However, "little progress has been reported toward finding a successor to the Miami Fusion, which folded after the 2001 season" (PALM BEACH POST, 12/6).
