David Beckham is preparing to let his contract run down at Real Madrid - in the desperate hope of landing a dream free transfer back to Manchester United.

Beckham has told close pals that he's only truly interested in moving to one place if he leaves the Bernabeu next summer - Old Trafford.

The former United favourite, sold for £25million to Madrid by Sir Alex Ferguson after they won their last Premiership title in May 2003, has even intimated he'd take a massive pay-cut to persuade the Reds boss to take him back.

That seems a far-fetched scenario given the acrimonious way their relationship disintegrated after Fergie kicked a boot at Beckham, splitting the midfielder's eye, in the months leading up to his departure.

But, significantly, Beckham recently went out of his way to say there was no rift between him and Ferguson and that the boot incident was an accident.

And the move would certainly appeal to the cost-conscious Glazer family, who now own and run United from their base in Florida and who are more keen than ever to maximise their £850m investment