David Beckham buys private land in Miami for MLS team

MIAMI, March 25 (UPI) -- Miami soccer has found a new home.

After a sporadic search for a site for more than two years, David Beckham and his investors purchased private land need for a stadium in Overtown, according to the Miami Herald.

With the purchase, Beckham's partnership will own about two-third of the site, the Herald reports.

The group had looked at three other locations in the Miami area, including sites near Miami Marlins Park and on Biscayne Bay. The Beckham partnership will now attempt to win county approval to make way for the purchase of land needed to complete the stadium site, currently owned by the government. The group will also attempt to get city approval through zoning changes, required to build the stadium at the site.

Miami Beckham United (MBU) partner Marcelo Claure announced the news Thursday on Twitter.

"Big News: We've closed on our #Miami stadium site. Excited to bring a world-class @MLS club to our fans," tweeted Claure, the CEO of Sprint.

The project consists of nine acres, while the two sites purchased consist of six acres.

"We have the right site, the right ownership group, and a loyal base of fans counting down the days until our first match," Claure said in the statement. "We're all-in on Overtown, and we couldn't be more excited about moving forward with plans to deliver the most responsible stadium in Miami history."

Beckham, Claure, American Idol creator Simon Fuller, and others make up the ownership group. Beckham desires a 25,000-seat stadium, according to the Herald.