Beckham talking to MLS about owning a new team

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David Beckham, who announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday, could return to the United States (US) as owner of a new club.

The former England captain's contract with Major League Soccer (MLS), signed when he joined the L.A. Galaxy in 2007, included an option to purchase an 'expansion franchise'.

Beckham's option, which would allow him to create a new franchise for a fee understood to be US$25 million (S$31.3 million), well below the recent entry fees to the league for other expansion clubs, explicitly rules out New York City as a location for an eventual new team.

MLS currently has 19 teams. His advisors, which include his management team, Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment, have already discussed with the MLS on some of the possible locations for an eventual team.

The South East of the US is currently without an MLS team and Miami has been considered as one of the possible locations by Beckham's team.

The Miami Fusion, who played in neighbouring Fort Lauderdale, joined MLS in 1998 but were closed down by the then struggling league after four seasons along with fellow Florida team the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

A major stumbling block to a South Florida team is that they would likely have to finance a purpose-built football stadium given the two major venues in the city are for NFL and baseball.

MLS commissioner Don Garber has frequently mentioned a desire to return to the South East though and there have been talks with ambitious lower division club Orlando City and with the owners of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

Other cities that are considered potential expansion sites for MLS include Minneapolis, Tampa and San Antonio.