David and Victoria Beckham are reportedly making their move to the US permanent.

Soccer star David and his fashion designer wife are set to put their mansion in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, Southern England up for sale for £18 million, as they prepare to permanently base their family in the US.

A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Frankly they cannot see themselves ever returning to make London their full-time base.

"The house takes a lot of looking after. They have a petting farm with miniature animals, swimming pools indoor and out and huge grounds. Then this summer, the time they spent in Europe was at their South of France chateau. Sawbridgeworth just sits there empty."

David plays for US team La Galaxy while Victoria has most of her business interests in California, while their children - Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, seven, and Cruz, five – are said to have fully absorbed the American way of life.

The source added: "The children are settled, speak with American accents and David and Victoria are immersed in the laid back Los Angeles way of life. They love it there - they're well liked, have plenty of friends and feel it's their spiritual home."

Last month it was reported the Beckhams sacked a third of the employees who work in their homes in England, Los Angeles, Dubai and France as cost saving measures.