David Beckham Lovers

James confirmed the talks had taken place after Miami Heat practice on Monday.

He said: "There's some interest on both sides.

"David has become a good friend of mine over the last few years. And I think it would be great for this city to have a football club for sure.

"So there's interest on both sides, but it's preliminary talks. There (is) some open dialogue."

Reports emerged last month that Beckham, the former England captain, had decided to start an MLS expansion club in Miami. Several matters, however, must first be taken care of, including league approval.

Beckham travelled to Miami last week for at least the second time to scout possible locations and is looking for financial backers.

As part of the deal that brought Beckham to America with the Galaxy, the 38-year-old has the right to pay $25 million to start an expansion franchise.

However the overall costs associated with launching the team are will far exceed that amount when factoring in things like stadium construction and player signings.

"The research is still being made out," James said. "I think it could be huge. But you never know. I think this is a great town for soccer. There's a lot of soccer players, there's great youth soccer players here and people love the city as well. So that definitely would help."

Beckham is hoping that he can draw upon the star power and commercial reach of someone like James will aid his bid to get a franchise off the ground, and the pair appear to hold a genuine interest in working together.

Beckham created a buzz last season when he sat courtside for some Heat games, and James often speaks about his growing appreciation for some of the football's best players.

"I've grown a great interest in watching the game," James said. "It's a pretty intense sport. And my kids love it as well. But I've grown to the point where I know exactly what's going on when I'm watching the game."