The next day Beckham went shopping, spending a reported US$15,900 at a Giorgio Armani store in Manchester. This, too, received huge coverage as papers suggested Beckham's public appearance was his way of getting back at Ferguson for being benched.
After a 2-0 loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup two months ago, a furious Ferguson kicked a shoe that flew and hit Beckham in the face. Rather than staying out of the public eye and away from the media, Beckham went out the next day and was photographed with stitches above his eye.
Beckham has had a stormy relationship with Ferguson, a no-nonsense Scotsman who clearly does not appreciate his player's showbiz lifestyle and celebrity status.
Yet even if Beckham does join Real Madrid, it's uncertain whether he could break into the starting lineup of the nine-time European champion.
Madrid's lineup already features Ronaldo, Zidane, Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo, Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos and striker Raul.
Beckham, who is paid a reported US$143,000 a week at Manchester United, might need to take a salary cut to play in Spain.
For Real Madrid, Beckham might represent more of a marketing coup than anything else. He would help boost Real's commercial opportunities in Asia, where Beckham has a huge fan base.
Beckham is worth US$79.5 million, according to a survey of Britain's richest people published last weekend in The Sunday Times. He has a myriad of endorsement and sponsorship deals and is featured on billboard and magazine covers around much of the world.
But he's not yet a household name in the US.
The British film Bend it Like Beckham -- the title is based on his trademark ability to curl a free kick over a wall of defenders into the net -- might be a sleeper hit in America but many filmgoers have no idea who Beckham is.
All that could change when Manchester United makes a four-game preseason tour of the US this summer with games in Seattle, Los Angeles, East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.
Manchester United, the world's richest soccer team, is determined to crack the US market. Without pinup boy Beckham, however, the tour would be a tough sell.
"We accept he is the most recognized footballer in the world, perhaps the most recognized person," Man U's Kenyon said. "So yes, he is important to us. And that's the reason we're going to keep him."
RSS