PSG face race for Beckham signature

Published on 21/11/2012 01:01

Paris St Germain are front-runners to sign David Beckham for his “final challenge”, but there has also been interest from Brazil, China and Russia in the former England midfielder.

Beckham, 37, has announced he will leave the Los Angeles Galaxy after next month’s MLS Cup and is looking for one last club with which to bring the curtain down on his career.

PSG, bankrolled by Qatar, made an offer to the player a year ago and the presence of head coach Carlo Ancelotti and sporting director Leonardo, both of whom Beckham knows from his spells at AC Milan, could prove the clincher.

It is understood the French club remains a strong option, but there has been interest from all around the world, including wealthy clubs in China, Russia and even Brazil.

Beckham’s representatives have dismissed claims from Australian clubs, however, that they are in talks about a move to the A-League. It is understood that such a move, or to New York Red Bulls, remain the least likely options, while chances of a return to the Premier League in England also appear slim.

Beckham will spend the next month making his decision, with his choice likely to be announced in mid-December after the Galaxy’s title defence against the Houston Dynamo on 1 December and subsequent tour.

Although Beckham had an option on his contract, signed in January, for a seventh year with the Galaxy, his decision to leave is no great surprise. He told the Major League Soccer website: “I’ve had an incredibly special time playing for the LA Galaxy. However, I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career. I don’t see this as the end of my relationship with the league, as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future.”