David Beckham was chosen from a shortlist of three Premiership players to become Real Madrid's transfer market priority this summer, it emerged yesterday.

Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano has confirmed that his club considered and rejected moving for Thierry Henry or Michael Owen before deciding that Beckham carried more marketing and merchandise potential for the European champions.

The targeting of England's captain as the next world-class purchase after the signings of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in successive summers since 2000 is the culmination of Real's plan to outstrip Manchester United's global domination of football marketing and merchandising.

"They have seen how other clubs have overtaken them in the money-raising stakes and, when you think about it, possibly no club has a a bigger name to trade on than Real," said Madrid's north European marketing executive Duncan Pratt.

He added: "Over the years the people at Real have noticed how United have gone to all parts of the globe. And they've done very well, breaking ground in the Far East and places like that."

Now Real plan not just to catch up but to outdo United with the very player who is their biggest marketing tool.

United said yesterday they did not respond to transfer speculation, but they will be alert to the intentions of Real's president Florentino Perez, who has staked his reputation on bringing the biggest footballers to the Bernabeu Stadium each summer.

So far, Perez has always succeeded in getting his man. The construction tycoon (55) came to power at the Bernebeu after a presidential campaign three years ago which stunned the football world. He promised to buy Figo from Real's arch-rivals Barcelona should he be elected, then not only delivered by paying a lump sum of £38 million to buy out the player's contract, but went on to promise he would sign the world's biggest superstar each summer.

Before making good his boast by adding Zidane and Ronaldo, Perez said: "In terms of youth development I want us to emulate Ajax and in commercial terms I want us to copy and beat United."

Two weeks ago Perez lunched with newspaper executives, and was asked about Real's target this summer. To questions that Beckham was the wanted man, Perez answered: "As long as you don't quote me, yes that's true."

On Tuesday, Valdano felt confident enough to admit: "David Beckham looks like the next big project for us. I don't want to speak more because we are in the middle of a huge Champions League contest against his team. I don't want to be accused of saying things which heighten the tension around those games."

Yesterday Real's coach Vicente del Bosque, answering questions about where Beckham would fit in a team already containing Figo, Raul, Zidane and Ronaldo, said: "If David Beckham signs I know how I would use him in my line-up."

Yesterday Valdano said: "We don't persuade great players to come. This is the greatest club in the world - we invite them to come and if they turn us down they usually regret it."

Real now await a positive indication from Beckham's agents, SFX. But they would not comment yesterday.