David Beckham looks set to get a cash injection and further profile boost for his planned Miami MLS franchise with LeBron James suggesting he is ready to invest with his “good friend”.
The back-to-back NBA champion with Miami Heat believes a football team would be popular in the city and is in talks with Becks about a potential investment.
“There’s some interest on both sides,” James told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“David has become a good friend of mine over the last few years. I think it would be great for this city to have a football club for sure. There’s interest on both sides but it’s preliminary talks.”
Beckham has been working on bringing a team to Miami and part of his contract with Los Angeles Galaxy, the recently retired star has a $25 million option to purchase a franchise by the end of the year. The Miami Fusion were the last MLS team to call South Florida home, playing at Lockhart Stadium from 1998-2001, but the franchise folded because of struggling attendance.
James already has a minority stake in Premier League Liverpool as part of a partnership with the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group and says he is far greater understanding of the game than he had previously.
“I’ve grown to the point where I know exactly what’s going on when I’m watching the game,” he said.
And James is not short a few bob either. He was fourth in the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes for 2013, earning an estimated £37m, four places ahead of Golden Balls on £29 million.
