David Beckham is to return to elite European football after flying to France to sign a deal with Paris Saint-Germain. The former England captain will be unveiled at a news conference at the Parc des Princes later on Thursday afternoon.
The 37-year-old midfielder's private jet touched down in the French capital at around 11am this morning and he travelled on to a Parisian hospital to undertake a medical. Beckham has been a free agent sinceleaving Los Angeles Galaxy after five and a half years just before Christmas, but had spent some time recently training with Arsenal at their base in London Colney while he weighed up the next move.
The veteran had received 12 formal and lucrative offers from clubs in South America, South Africa, Russia, China, the Middle East, Australia and North America. The French second division club Monaco had made a tentative inquiry, but he has ultimately been swayed by the prospect of claiming a title in another major European league as well as competing again in the Champions League. PSG are of Ligue 1 from Lyon on goal difference as they seek a first French title since 1994 and will meet Valencia in the knockout phase of the European Cup next month.
There is also the draw of working again with the manager Carlo Ancelotti and the director Leonardo, under whom Beckham played on loan at Milan from LA Galaxy, and Qatari-owned PSG boast the financial clout to secure his services. The French club have twice come close to securing the player, initially in the summer of 2011 just after the Qatari takeover of the club and again a year ago, only for the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder to decide to prolong his stay in Major League Soccer for another season instead. That news prompted dismay in Paris – the team fell away and ended up losing out to Montpellier in the league – but they have added extravagantly to their squad since.
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