Real late bid to keep Beckham

Madrid president Ramon Calderon last night claimed that Beckham, who next weekend could be celebrating his first Spanish league title, had a clause in his contract with the Americans that would allow him to wriggle out of his move to Major League Soccer.

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Please don't go: Real are trying to persuade Beckham to stay in Spain instead of going to LA Galaxy

He added the club would make a last-ditch attempt to urge the former England captain to exercise it.

Calderon said: "We have to sit down with him, his people and with Pedrag Mijatovic (Real's sporting director) to look at this clause and decide between ourselves, but I would be absolutely delighted if he stayed.

"There was anger over the premature announcement of his departure but now we are going to make a big effort for him to remain."

The idea of a release clause for Beckham has been denied in the past by LA Galaxy's general manager Alexi Lalas.

And a Beckham spokesman insisted last night the player would go to Los Angeles as planned.

He said: "Nothing has changed and David is still looking forward to playing for LA Galaxy after ending the season on a high with Real."

The idea of begging Beckham to change his mind is a measure of how much Madrid regret losing him.

Calderon added: "Beckham has shown what a really great player he is and what a great fighter he is."

Beckham's relationship with Calderon and Mijatovic has been strained this season. In the first half of the campaign he felt he was being unfairly kept out of the team to weaken his position as he tried to negotiate an extension to his contract that runs out at the end of June.

He was not offered what he wanted and, feeling undervalued, Beckham signed for LA Galaxy just hours after the first round of contract talks had finished.

Beckham was then told he would not play again for Real because he "could not be trusted to give his all" having made such a lucrative commitment with another club.

That was followed by an off-therecord insult from President Calderon, who described him as "a half-baked actor who had run away to Hollywood because no one wanted to sign him".

Beckham is believed to have vented his anger at the President and his sporting director in a furious exchange at a private meeting between the players and Calderon.

When Real struggled through January without Beckham, the wisdom of his exclusion was questioned and since he was brought back in February Madrid have lost just once.

But it appears Calderon's attempt to keep Beckham is six months too late, with sources close to the player's camp suggesting there is no such clause in his new contract, that plans for his life in LA are too far advanced to be reversed and winning the title in his final match next Sunday will be the perfect way to leave the club with his head held high.

The title appeared to be slipping away from Real in the 89th minute of their game in Zaragoza on Saturday.

Real were losing 2-1 and Barcelona, courtesy of two goals from Lionel Messi — including a Hand of God' effort — were beating Espanyol 2-1.

But in the space of 18 seconds, Ruud van Nistelrooy scrambled in his 25th league goal of the season for Real and Raul Tamudo equalised at the Nou Camp.

Both games ended in 2-2 draws to leave Real on top and 90 minutes from the title.

The rivals are level on points but Real have a better record in head-to-head clashes between the teams.

Barca are favourites to win their final fixture away to relegated Gimnastic but if Madrid beat Mallorca at home, they will be champions.

If that happens, Manchester United stand to collect extra payments of about £1m each as add-ons to transfer fees — Beckham for winning the title and Van Nistelrooy for being top scorer.