And the rest from Joan Laporte:
"Everybody in my team, including the coach I have signed, believes that David Beckham can become the leader of the new Barcelona.
"In our 103-year history we have had some of the greatest players ever, including Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, and I believe that the David Beckham of 2003 can save Barcelona the way that Cruyff saved my beloved club in 1973. Then, like now, we were in a bad situation, but Cruyff and the players who joined with him made us great again and in my opinion that's what David will do for us. He is one of the world's great players — but even more importantly he is a leader, an inspirational figure.
"We will rebuild this club around him. My greatest memory is of the dream team which Cruyff coached to win the European Cup in David's country in 1992 at Wembley. Although we have things to achieve before we repeat that, my dream is for Barcelona to lift that same trophy with David Beckham as its leader.
"Our discussions with Manchester United are extremely advanced, proceeding very well and I'm very confident about the result. We will talk to David and his agent and I cannot confirm his signing until I'm sure I have got it, but I believe we will succeed."