Tigers Swoop For Beckham

Following David Beckham’s declaration that he is prepared to leave LA Galaxy and return to the Premier League ‘for a club other than Manchester United’, Hull City Chairman, Paul Duffen, and manager, Phil Brown, have been quick to announce that they have Beckham firmly in their sights.

Duffen told The Daily Spliff, “We feel that Hull would be the perfect destination for David, given his desire to leave Los Angeles. We are putting together an offer as we speak”.

The England and ex-Real Madrid star, who wants to enhance his chances of playing in Fabio Capello’s England World Cup side next summer, is also considering a return to recent loan club, AC Milan. However it is thought that former Milan boss, Carlo Ancelotti, is equally keen to bring Beckham to Stamford Bridge in his capacity as new Chelsea manager.

But Hull are leading the chase.

Hull have recently been thwarted in their efforts to sign a succession of leading players. Prime target, Michael Owen, recently rejected Hull’s overtures by surprisingly selecting English and World Club Champions, Manchester United over the KC Stadium, as did AS Nancy striker, Marc-Antoine Fortune, who preferred to opt for former European champions, Celtic. Only this week, Manchester United and Tottenham starlet, the England Under-21 International, Fraizer Campbell, also spurned the Tigers and chose perennial relegation stragglers, Sunderland, instead.

“We are deadly serious about this”, said Duffen, from his speed-restricted Skoda. “Hull City and David Beckham would be a perfect match”.

Despite a catalogue series of signings setbacks, Hull are now poised to make their first close season signing following a succession of rejections.

The highly rated Daryl Murphy of Sunderland has agreed to join the Tigers for the sizeable fee of almost £1.5 million.

“This is excellent news”, said Duffen. ” We feel that Daryl is in any case a better all-round player than Michael Owen, and we are very flattered that he has agreed to join us”.

Duffen added that in the unlikely event of Beckham opting against a move to East Yorkshire, Hull have already identified an alternative target.

“We will be making a very realistic £25,000 offer for Doncaster Rovers midfielder, Brian Stock, who we see as a terrific young prospect and a very viable alternative to Beckham”, added the Tigers Chairman.

Hull manager, Phil Brown, whose head is currently in the high altitude clouds of Bormio, commented from his team’s Italian training base,

“I was immensely proud to be rejected by Michael Owen only a week ago. If a player of David Beckham's calibre were to turn us down as well, then I would be positively bursting. This would be another great day in Hull City’s history”.