David Beckham’s son, Brooklyn, casting his lot with Arsenal

David Beckham’s eldest son Brooklyn is apparently determined to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. He’s just not going to follow very closely.

At least that’s one way to read his decision to turn his back on Manchester United, his dad’s old team, to sign a short-term deal with English Premier League club Arsenal instead.

According to several reports in the English press the 15-year-old Brooklyn, who had drawn interest from Chelsea in addition to United, accepted an academy deal with Arsenal, where he has been playing for the Gunners’ U-16 team. Brooklyn had previously played for Queens Park Rangers and Fulham in addition to United and Arsenal.

Players must be at least 17 years old before they can sign professional contracts. But pre-agreements are common.

The Beckham family has neither confirmed nor denied the reports, that surfaced Monday.

The British betting houses responded to the news by placing odds on Brooklyn’s chances to play in both the EPL and for the national team his father once captained, with bookmakers Coral placing the odds at 14/1 for him to play in the EPL and 33/1 to play for England.

Brooklyn’s two brothers, 9-year-old Cruz and 12-year-old Romeo, also play for Arsenal youth teams.

David Beckham played six seasons with the Galaxy, helping the team to consecutive Major League Soccer titles before leaving the U.S. after the 2012 season to play the final 10 games of his career in France with Paris Saint-Germain. He is currently heading a group working to place an MLS expansion team in South Florida.

Follow Kevin Baxter on Twitter @kbaxter11