Since leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy in December, and retiring from the game after a five-month stint at Paris Saint-Germain, Beckham has been mulling over the location for a prospective MLS franchise.
The former England captain has now made up his mind and he will pay a discounted rate of $25m (£16m) to start an MLS expansion team in Miami, someone with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because plans are not yet being publicly discussed.
The option of becoming a team owner was included in the MLS contract that Beckham signed when joining the LA Galaxy in 2007. "We know that Miami is one of the most passionate soccer markets in North America," the MLS executive vice president, Dan Courtemanche, said. "We have met with David Beckham regarding ownership of an expansion team, and we look forward to David one day owning an MLS club."
There are currently 19 MLS teams and the league commissioner, Don Garber, hopes to expand to 24 by the 2020 season. A 20th team is already in place to begin playing in 2015 after the Premier League club Manchester City and their partner, the New York Yankees, paid an expansion fee of $100m to launch New York City FC.
The MLS still has to give Beckham the go-ahead to make Miami the location of the franchise.
Beckham is looking to raise several hundred million dollars of investment to fund the setup costs, including putting together a squad of players and building a stadium, although the franchise could initially play in an existing venue.
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