A final decision on the David Beckham-fronted Miami project, which is now led by Los Angeles Dodgers part owner Todd Boehly, is said to be imminent, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/.

Beckham travelled to Chicago to personally pitch league owners for the first time in an effort to finally get the project over the line, which now appears a formality given a stadium land deal is firmly in place.

"We're not announcing MLS Miami today, but we're confident we'll be able to do that by the end of the summer," said MLS commissioner Don Garber, who added that "the time is right" to enter Miami and identified four other expansion efforts - in Detroit, Sacramento, Cincinnati and Nashville - as having been "energised" this summer.

A vote on which two groups among 12 contenders will be accepted in the league's next round of expansion is now expected to take place at December's MLS Cup.