Beckham may not yet have said oui to Paris Saint-Germain but an increasing number of reports suggest plans to welcome the former England skipper are at an advanced stage. Vacancies for the kids have been found at the British School of Paris, says Le Parisien, who also reveal a fortified mansion in the bourgeois suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and a luxurious triplex in the city centre have been identified as potential homes.

Wednesday’s L’Equipe notes that the main PSG store has stocked up on replica shirts (just in case) and claims a private conciergerie has been hired to look after the Beckhams’ everyday needs.

PSG’s ambitious Qatari owners see Beckham as a vital part of their strategy. Described by sports director Leonardo as “a pop star” and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi as “a brand who transcends football”, Beckham – reading between the lines – is essentially being signed to promote the PSG brand (as well as taking the odd free-kick if Nenê allows him).  

Icon value

The owners are doing everything possible to convince Beckham because they want the world to sit up and take notice of PSG, and – though no longer in his peak – the 36-year-old remains a global icon. PSG are touring Qatar in early January and the club owners know Beckham’s presence on the trip would turn it in to an almighty media circus. This is why they are refusing to leave any stone unturned. This is why the tapis rouge is being laid out so carefully and why a solution has been found for every potential problem. Well, every problem except for one. Just where is Beckham going to play?

In France, the initial reaction to Beckham’s possible arrival was positive. Many were curious and excited about the idea of such a famous family arriving in France. It would be fun for the celebrity magazines, and interesting for the footballing public as well to see if Becks could roll back the years and turn in the odd decent performance in Ligue 1. The noises coming out of the PSG dressing room were mainly positive too.

Beckham keen to play

Then Beckham said something that surprised many – not least those at the Camp des Loges training ground. He said he wanted to join a club that would give him the opportunity to play regularly and enable him to compete for Great Britain in the Olympics. In other words, Beckham, to his credit, has no intention of coming to Paris merely for some publicity shoots and substitute cameos. 

Beckham has just enjoyed his best season at LA Galaxy and – barring occasional back complaint – is in good physical shape. Yet the difference in standard between Ligue 1 and the MLS is immense.

As regular Ligue 1 viewers will know, the French League is physical and highly tactical. The pace may be slower than the Premier League, for example – and that will help Beckham – but it is an extremely difficult league for creators. Don’t take my word for it alone: ask the likes of Yoann Gourcuff, Lucho Gonzalez and Javier Pastore, top-class playmakers who have struggled badly to find gaps in defences this season. Ask Hatem Ben Arfa or Robert Pires if they got more space at Marseille or in England?

Beckham’s talent has not deserted him. He is still capable of pinging 50-yard passes in to a team-mates’ feet or swerving a free-kick round a wall. Yet anybody suggesting the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man will find life in Ligue 1 easy is badly mistaken and almost certainly unfamiliar with the league.

Beckham can play on the right side of midfield or in the centre. Given that he has slowed down in recent years and is less capable of bombing up and down a flank for 90 minutes, the right-sided role is unrealistic. Add to that the fact that blossoming French international Jérémy Menez has pace and skill in abundance and been one of PSG’s best players this season, this particular option seems like a non-starter.

So Beckham, if he is to play regularly, will have to do so in the middle, where he has impressed in the United States. PSG play a 4-2-3-1 formation, meaning that four excellent central midfielders – Momo Sissokho, Blaise Matuidi, Clément Chantôme and Mathieu Bodmer – have been fighting it out for two spots. If Beckham joins and is guaranteed regular football, those four will be competing for one spot.

Accepting competition is part and parcel of playing for a big club. Should other reported transfer targets like Carlos Tevez or Marek Hamsik arrive, the likes of Kévin Gameiro, Nenê, Menez and Javier Pastore may struggle to command first-team places too. The difference, however, is that Tevez and Hamsik are world-class footballers at the height of their form. Beckham, for all his qualities, isn’t.

Chantôme is not one to make waves, but how would the 24-year-old feel about moving down the hierarchy to accommodate Beckham having spent six seasons working his way up it? Sissokho and Matuidi get through so much work in midfield they would have every right to feel aggrieved about losing out to a player who possibly covers half as much ground.

Beckham glamour appeal

Beckham is a great ambassador and he was a great player. In my opinion, he is still a good player and could do a decent job at PSG. The trouble is, he is definitely not the player PSG need most right now. PSG require more competition in attack and on the flanks, as well as more solidity in the centre and on the left side of their defence.

Despite this, I hope he comes because his arrival would add glamour to the league and, more than anything, I can’t wait to hear him speaking French. But concierge or no concierge, Beckham’s settling in period is unlikely to be as smooth or straightforward as some might think.

>> PSG win but crash out of Europe

>> PSG club profile

>> More Spiro Blogs