The David Beckham experience is nearly over.  The legendary British midfielder announced that he would be taking his trade elsewhere after the MLS Cup Final match on December 1^st, which will be his last game for the club.  Beckham has enjoyed a reasonably successful stint with the LA Galaxy, scoring 18 goals and notching 40 assists.  Also, he helped the team to an MLS Cup trophy last season and could very possibly help earn another next weekend.  But the question now becomes, where does Beckham move on to now, and how will the Galaxy fare without their most prestigious player?

For Beckham, he seems to want one last notch on the old belt before his inevitable retirement.  At age 37, his best years are now long gone, and although his deft right foot is still capable of wreaking havoc for defenders and goalkeepers, his legs are otherwise aged and weary.  He was a decent player for the Galaxy, but I would argue that he was never the superstar figure that MLS officials envisioned when they brought him to LA in 2007.

One option that seems to be up for Beckham is to join the free-spending French team, Paris Saint-Germaine.  The club has bought a host of stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezeguiel Lavezzi, and Javier Pastore in recent years and may wish to add another star like Beckham to increase their worldwide popularity.  I for one see this as a weird choice considering their UEFA Champions League aspirations.  David Beckham is not going to bring much to a squad that wants to be among the world’s best, and they would do better to invest in younger talent with greater potential.  Beckham’s arrival would shift focus onto the star and would shake up the squad that needs to improve.

Another option is for David Beckham to move to the Australian soccer league, with the city of Melbourne recently offering him the key to the city if a move could be arranged.  This would be a similar situation that Beckham was already in with the MLS so I would be rather surprised to see the move transpire.  What I think is more likely is a return to the English Premier League with a rather less prestigious club like Fulham or Aston Villa.  However, Beckham has always played for winning clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and the LA Galaxy, so he may not want to join a weak EPL club and could opt for dominating a lower league such as the one in Australia.

For the LA Galaxy, although their team is poised to lift another MLS Cup fans should be very concerned.  With Beckham’s impending departure and Landon Donovan’s hints at a retirement after next season, the club could be without both of their crucial star players in a short period.  Although striker Robbie Keane is still at the club, he could potentially leave with the Galaxy losing much of their star prestige.  The club will need to work quickly this offseason to recruit a new foreign hero to keep the club up to their proud standing.  I presume that they will make a strong push for Frank Lampard, a wonderful midfielder who is losing his place at the English club, Chelsea.  The team will go on without Beckham though, but it is definitely a blow for the MLS who had hoped for so much from his arrival.