“[Newly installed PSG manager] Carlo Ancelotti has personally called David Beckham in a bid to persuade the former England captain to join him at Paris Saint-Germain,” the report reads. “But Beckham is still set to agree a contract extension with the LA Galaxy within the next week.”
Beckham has been the subject of a transfer saga for much of 2011. His original five-year contract with L.A. and Major League Soccer expired on Dec. 31, and it was unclear if Beckham would return to the MLS champions.
PSG and its Qatari owners reportedly offered Beckham an 18-month deal worth around £12 million ($18.7 million), but the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star does not want to uproot his family and move to the French capital.
“Obviously there is a few things to look at,” Beckham said before MLS Cup in November. “Is my family happy? Which they are. They love living here. We love living here. In the 5 years we have had great experiences as a family. Everyone has treated us so unbelievably well, but physically I still need to see where I am at the end of the season. Then I will decide.”
Beckham’s connections to the PSG regime run deep. Sporting director Leonardo and Ancelotti worked with the 36-year-old during his two loan stints with AC Milan (in 2009 and 2010). It was thought they would persuade him to join the PSG revolution, but Leonardo struck a conciliatory tone when discussing the probability of capturing Beckham.
“The question has never been professional but about his family,” he said. “It is a difficult choice to make to move his family to Paris. We are going to wait a bit. It is a personal choice and it is not easy for him.”
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