David Beckham's MLS franchise in Miami is closing in on a long-awaited formal launch, with a member of the club's ownership group indicating an announcement is coming "in the near future."
MLS announced in February 2014 that Beckham had exercised an option from his LA Galaxy contract to launch a club for a discounted expansion fee, though the franchise's final approval has been put on hold amid drawn-out negotiations to build a soccer-specific stadium in South Florida.
But the English superstar met with fellow investors Marcelo Claure and Jorge and Jose Mas on Thursday and Friday in Kansas City as the new ownership group prepares to confirm an MLS franchise that will play in Miami's Overtown neighborhood.
"We had super, super productive meetings in KC," Jorge Mas told the Miami Herald. "I'm very excited for what we can bring the Miami soccer fan, and we’ll have some big news to announce in Miami in the near future.
"Being a native, I’m a Miami guy 1,000 percent, and I want to make this a really special team with a really special fan experience."
The Herald reports that the team name and preliminary uniform designs will be unveiled at the event, which is expected to take place in late January.
MLS announced last month that the Miami-based Mas brothers and Japanese entrepreneur Masayoshi Son had joined Beckham, Sprint CEO Claure and entertainment entrepreneur Simon Fuller in the proposed club's ownership group.
The investors also met with Kansas City-based architectural firm Populous to discuss design ideas for the new stadium and toured the facilities of MLS side Sporting Kansas City, which launched its own soccer-specific venue in 2011.
