As I said in my previous post, I watched AC Milan-Reggina today; Beckham looked okay, and the talent around him certainly helped, but it seems to me he might actually be out of place on that team. His crosses are still dangerous, and he had a few that threatened Reggina, but they don't seem to fit the way Milan liked to play. Kaka and Pato are so supremely dangerous with the ball at their feet that Beckham whipping in a cross anytime he gets a little space out the right looks like the wrong thing to do. That being said, he has to be more comfortable at Milan than in LA; the time he gets on the ball must seem like hours compared to MLS.

Just some thoughts.

On to Beckham's value. Goal.com is reporting that Milan's initial offer has been rejected by MLS and the Galaxy. If the number is accurate ($5.7 million), then Milan is hoping their big club status will scare LA into selling Beckham to them on the cheap. It's a fairly ridiculous number.

I know that I've intimated recently that the American side needs to be realistic about Beckham's value as a footballer, and leave the extraneous marketing concerns out of it; I was wrong. The more thought I've given to the situation, the more I believe LA/MLS should hold Milan over the proverbial barrel. The Italian giants made the mistake of announcing to the world how badly they want to keep Beckham, something on which the Galaxy should certainly capitalize.

So how much? MLS is said to have rated Beckham at $20 million; Grahame Jones has reported that they'll certainly want more than the current MLS record (Altidore to Villareal) of $10 million. Some bloggers have even suggested that a Beckham for Ronaldinho swap might be in order; if MLS is going to lose their biggest draw, why not bring in a player that can alleviate any drop off? Shevchenko has also been mentioned as a trade possibilty, as his wife is American and he continues to waste away on the Milan bench. The Ukranian doesn't have the international fame of Ronaldinho, but he certainly has a strong pedigree. Dave at sounderatheart.com suggests the league should require Milan to play the All-Star game this year and subsequent friendlies down the line as part of any transfer agreement.

So why not all of the above? A transfer fee north of $10 million is a must, writing into the agreement a number of friendlies really does Milan no harm and shouldn't be an issue, and Milan has several players on their roster that I'm sure they wouldn't mind offloading. Beckham's play is only one part of this equation, with his marketing clout adding significant value to his services; if Milan is not prepared to pay for that premium, then MLS and the Galaxy should walk away.

Let's sum up what MLs and the Galaxy should get for Beckham:

1. $12-15 million (at least)
2. Ronaldinho or Shevchenko (I can settle for Shevchenko)
3. Agreement to play in the MLS All-Star game and subsequent friendlies, number TBD

Now, what I believe MLS and the Galaxy will get for Beckham:

1. A transfer fee between $10-12 million

I hope I'm wrong.

After I wrote this, I found this story, which indicates the rejected bid was $10 million. Hmm, not sure who to believe, but the $5.7 million initial bid seems more likely.'

Wow, just realized what a typo fest that was originally. Serves me right for trying to get the post up so quickly.