Beckham business good for Fergie

The manager would prefer him to stay in Manchester but if Madrid beckons then £30m would help United's evolution

The coded evidence was clear. That theatrical shirt-swapping exercise with Zinedine Zidane, the wan smile designed to convey the message: "Hey, see you next season, and preferably as allies"; that over-zealous applause for all corners of Old Trafford by a bare-chested warrior, suggesting that this was a valedictory performance; and finally that petulant next-morning shopping walkabout – nobody spends it quite like Beckham – in Manchester.

For many, it didn't require Desmond Morris to reveal that his body language at what should have been a moment of rare dejection following Manchester United's elimination by Real Madrid spoke eloquently about his future.

Was this not a transparent case of the England captain participating in his own version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here? If we are to believe the prophets, and "friends" of the player and his wife (who is said to be "furious" with Sir Alex Ferguson) it is not so preposterous that he should decide to escape the Old Trafford jungle and the Lion King who casts his fearsome shadow over all within its territory.

If that were, indeed, the case – and Beckham's father, Ted, gave the concept some authenticity yesterday – many of us would advise him: go forth, young man. Take your place amid the Madrileños. The east Londoner's bag of tricks is colourful, but not as breathtakingly varied as those practised by the élite, when we speak of magicians like Zidane. To perform among such gifted beings would only enhance his own repertoire.

If £30m-plus really is on the table, United's financial mandarins would surely trouser it before you could say "Ronaldinho", "Harry Kewell", "Patrick Kluivert", "Paul Robinson", or whoever Ferguson would elect to purchase. The only factor that might reasonably dissuade them is Beckham's undoubted value as a marketable item worldwide.

If ever there was a time for Ferguson to reviewcast members, this is it. His personnel have performed well, sublimely so at times, of late, but that has been largely because of the superlative marksmanship of Ruud van Nistelrooy, the constant support and goals of Paul Scholes and the admirable contribution of John O'Shea, and despite other shortcomings: a dubious goalkeeper, a captain within whom the fires no longer appear to burn so brightly, and a rearguard in which Rio Ferdinand appears disappointingly fallible, and which has the capacity to bow in the wind when the opposition display any pace or verve.

Two days after the event, the dust still had not settled. But then it rarely does in the House of Ferguson, where the master does not seem inclined to ensure a subdued conclusion to his career. Mentioning the B word in his presence was to be undertaken only by those in tin helmets. The official line was: "Why should we be forced to comment on something which is pure newspaper speculation, and totally untrue?" To enforce the point, a local radio reporter who had the temerity to utter the word was evicted from the press conference at United's Carrington training complex.

As so often with Ferguson, nothing is ever quite as simple as many in this pontificatory business of ours would prefer it to be. The Scot may have preferred Juan Sebastian Veron to Beckham in his starting order on Wednesday, but we have observed such idio-syncratic selection from Ferguson before. If Beckham were to be first name on the team sheet for the side to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane this afternoon, it would be no surprise.

Ferguson would prefer Beckham, for all his perceived faults and those the manager reportedly identifies in Mrs B, to remain at Old Trafford, though there is little doubt that he regards his protégé's lifestyle and off-field prominence with – at best – a sense of irritation. But if a swift, suitably lucrative transaction was negotiated he would view it as an opportunity to refresh his squad. It would not be the first time that a player once regarded as irreplaceable has been lost (Eric Cantona) or dispensed with (Paul Ince), and progress has not been hindered unduly.

It could be that others would follow, too. We are not speaking of a cull; more a state of natural evolution, where the future of some hitherto key personnel is now less certain. They include goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, Ryan Giggs and, dare one submit the name, Roy Keane. Even his most avowed advocates would concur that serious injury, the World Cup brouhaha and what ensued have diminished the Irishman's powers.

While Ferguson still harbours faith in his side to reclaim the championship, he will have regarded the Champions' League exit rather less philosophically than it appeared. It remains the ultimate test; of his team, of his choice of players and his management. "My fear was always how much we could keep them [Real Madrid] out," he reflected. "If you think that for over 80 minutes you can prevent Ronaldo, Zidane and Figo from making an impact it is fanciful thinking.

"I knew it was a big test for our young defenders, who don't have the experience of Hierro or Roberto Carlos. They are still young, so therefore the key was how many we could score."

The fact that four goals were not sufficient says it all, yet Ferguson could at least be heartened by the poise and confidence of O'Shea, an intelligent, diligent defender but also a man who could contemptuously nutmeg Luis Figo. "It has been an invaluable experience for me," the Irishman said. "Who knows when it might happen again that I'm playing against Real Madrid in a Champions' League quarter-final at Old Trafford? Unfortunately, we didn't do the business in Madrid and that cost us."

Wes Brown, too, continues to give his manager considerable cause for encouragement. "Where I am confident and optimistic is that Brown and O'Shea will improve," he said.

Overall, though, Ferguson's squad always fell short when matched against the Spanish dream team, with or without Beckham. It is unlikely that will change. It was put to Ferguson that it would only do so if he imported some class acts. "It is hard to equal Real Madrid the way they spend," he stressed. "They don't worry about debt, for a start. The council brought their training ground for £220m – the American Embassy in Mayfair is not worth that!"

He added: "There is a distinction here in that they have the ability to identify the best players in the world and go out and buy them. Ronaldo, Figo, Zidane. We have never really been able to do that, and I don't think any club can do that apart from them."

But will Real acquire Beckham? It all leaves us with an intriguing question: who would benefit the most from the addition of the midfielder to the Madrid art gallery? The Spanish conquistadors, or Ferguson, who would be provided with the scope to improve on what he has already constructed so successfully at Old Trafford? A guess from this perspective is the latter.

Life without David: Five things United would lose if their golden boy left

A talisman
OK, so Roy Keane is the captain, and in many ways still Manchester United's chief enforcer, but who truly encapsulates the commitment to the cause, particularly since his elevation to the England captaincy? It has to be Beckham, a player still subjected to some post-France 98 abuse at away grounds, but who is capable of inspiring his team-mates and the Old Trafford faithful, too.

A ball-player
Inevitably, they would miss his crossing, from dead-ball situations and in open play. How many times have we witnessed those sublime centres being met by the heads of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ryan Giggs to transform a game? As for free-kicks, few can bend it like Beckham, as he demonstrated with such a truly mischievous sense of timing on Wednesday.

A team-mate
Beckham's departure would break up the famous class of '92, or at least the five members of that victorious FA Cup youth team who have developed and flourished: namely Beckham, the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. The affinity that exists within the quintet has played a crucial part in United's glory years. If Beckham left, how much would it affect that spirit of togetherness?

A workhorse
No one can compare in terms of workrate. He has never been one of the game's strollers or prima donnas, certainly not on the field anyway. Powered presumably by Duracell, Beckham was assessed by United's former assistant Steve McClaren as the player who continued to run while others dropped. Occasionally over-enthusiastic in the challenge, but his stamina is an undoubted quality.

A money-spinner
His absence as a marketable commodity would be considerable. Many figures abound, most exaggerated. But an analyst suggested this week that he could bring in £20m a year in terms of merchandising if he stays at the club until 2008, with United determined to exert their influence in the Far East, where Beckham is already a cult figure, and now the United States.