David Beckham Says ‘Non Merci’ To PSG

The script was Hollywood made.

After years of underachieving and underwhelming performances, David Beckham finally delivered that necessary championship to cap his five-year Stateside odyssey.

His gargantuan contract was coming to a close and Beckham had seemingly washed aside all the disappointment of the previous four years with a fitting goodbye to the league he undoubtedly helped grow.

However, like the final installation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this flick seemingly won’t end.

Beckham’s contract with the MLS expired Dec. 31. Whether he returns to the Los Angeles Galaxy is not totally set in stone (but it looks all but done), but one thing has crystallized: Becks won’t be going to Paris.

Paris St- Germain, long rumored to be Beckham’s European landing spot, is no longer an option.

“David was very interested in coming to Paris,” said PSG manager Leonardo. “But the welfare of his family in Los Angeles, the wish not to change everything in his life, weighed heavily.”

PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi to French radio echoed those sentiments.

“David Beckham is in Los Angeles and he is going to stay there. He will not come, that is clear.”

PSG was an attractive/feasible option for the aging superstar. PSG’s new Qatari owners are big spenders and looking to establish a worldwide brand - something they can show off while hosting the World Cup in 2022. And nothing does that like signing David Beckham. Ask the Galaxy.

Also, Becks had stated a desire to perhaps play in the Champions League once again (PSG currently sit atop Ligue 1, and of course, why wouldn’t Victoria want to live in Paris, the fashion capital of the world? Imagine all the possibilities…

But leaving Los Angeles was always going to be a tough sell for the Beckhams, moreso the family than the footballer. Now with four kids, the Beckhams are reveling in sunny Southern California, rubbing elbows with the Hollywood elite all the while enjoying a semblance of normalcy, something they’d never get in Europe. Plus, it’s not as if Victoria can’t find the newest fashions on Rodeo Drive.

Beckham wants to play in next summer’s London Olympics as a member of team Great Britain. I don’t think continuing to play in the MLS would hinder those goals. He’s David Beckham, if he wants to captain Team GB in London, he’s going to, regardless of playing against Olympique Lyon or Real Salt Lake.

The MLS is still growing (evidenced by the addition of Montreal to the league this year), and Beckham, no matter whether you think he’s overrated as a player or not, is still a box office draw. And the league still needs those.