Following speculation of a move to Barcelona, Beckham signed a £24.5m deal with Real Madrid in July 2003. By now his relationship with Ferguson had turned sour. The two never spoke about his transfer – something Beckham reflects on as a good thing because it “would have broken my heart.” Soon after his arrival at the Bernabeu, former Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz was appointed head coach. Off the pitch, coverage around a highly-publicised alleged affair affected the family. The couple have always denied claims that Beckham had an affair while in Spain.
