David Beckham

Unless there is another twist in the tale -- and that remains possible -- David Beckham will be back with the Galaxy next month. Tim Leiweke, chief executive of AEG, which owns the Major League Soccer team, said that AC Milan had failed to meet the league's Friday deadline to make a more substantive offer for the English midfielder and that no late offer would be considered. "He will be back here on March 9 and we don't want to entertain any more conversations now," Leiweke said.

Apparently the Angels aren't the only ones who aren't getting what they paid for. Just a few miles down the freeway Major League Soccer's Galaxy has put together the most expensive collection of stars in its sport too. And though that brought them a title last year, the embarrassment of riches has been just that — an embarrassment — so far this season. After Saturday's 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Joel Lindpere's first-half goal, the Galaxy has already lost as many games this year — five — as it did all of last season.

Au revoir , David Beckham. Although your aides-de-camp keep insisting nothing has been decided, everybody knows your move to the French club Paris Saint-Germain is pretty much a fait accompli . (By the way, David, I hope you're reading this closely because you really should learn the language.) When the deal does become official — which probably will be after New Year's to assure the greatest possible media coverage — we hear a "movie star" unveiling will be staged in central Paris.

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, who has made no secret of his desire to play for Britain in this summer's Olympic Games in London, moved another step closer to that goal Wednesday when he survived the latest round of cuts in the pool of players from which Coach Stuart Pearce will select his squad. Since January, Pearce has eliminated more than 110 players from consideration for the 18-man team. But the list of candidates still numbers 80, so Beckham isn't packing just yet. Pearce is expected to name his final roster in June.

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, who has made no secret of his desire to play for Britain in this summer's Olympic Games in London, moved another step closer to that goal Wednesday when he survived the latest round of cuts in the pool of players from which Coach Stuart Pearce will select his squad. Since January, Pearce has eliminated more than 110 players from consideration for the 18-man team. But the list of candidates still numbers 80, so Beckham isn't packing just yet. Pearce is expected to name his final roster in June.

David Beckham was soccer's second-best-paid player last year, making $41.5 million in combined salary and endorsements, according to the prestigious magazine France Football, which compiles an annual list of international soccer's top earners. Only Barcelona's incomparable Lionel Messi, at $43.5 million, made more than Beckham in 2011. Messi is a three-time winner of the FIFA Balon d'Or as the sport's best player. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo ($38.5 million) and Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o ($30.7 million)

It's all about saving face, now, for Major League Soccer. David Beckham is history. He has said he wants no more of MLS, no more of the Galaxy, no more of Los Angeles. The Beckham circus has moved on and Milan is its latest stop. Lawyers are negotiating just how the 33-year-old can wriggle out of the five-year contract he signed with MLS in 2007. They will succeed. A deal will be cut. That's the way of the business world. Then the spin doctors will step in.

The Galaxy officially welcomed David Beckham back into the fold Thursday — never mind the fact he'd never really left. Never mind too that he hasn't finished signing the five contracts he has with the team, some of which run more than 40 pages. "Once we agreed to terms, a handshake was good enough," said Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of AEG, the entertainment group that owns the Galaxy. "We'll let the lawyers handle the paperwork. " Three weeks ago it looked like the only thing the lawyers would be handling was the paperwork for Beckham's departure.

The last time Galaxy forward Landon Donovan and midfielder David Beckham played a full 90 minutes together was May 14, when the two combined to score three goals. But since then, Donovan has left for, and since returned from, a month of international duty in the Gold Cup while Beckham is now battling a back injury. In those eight weeks, the Galaxy has won four games and drawn four games, extending its unbeaten streak to 11. "If you put together the number of games that the key players have missed," Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena said, "and at the end of all of this we're still the team with the most points in the league, it isn't that bad. " Even with Donovan back in the starting lineup Monday in a scoreless draw against the Seattle Sounders, the Galaxy lacked the spark and cohesiveness that were once its trademarks.

When: 1 p.m. PDT. Where: Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan. On the air: TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes; Radio: 1150, 1330. Records: Galaxy 1-2, Sporting Kansas City 4-0. Record vs. Sporting Kansas City (2011): 1-0-1. Update: This will be a tough test for the defending MLS champions, who have been listless through their 1-2 start and are now without playmaking midfielder David Beckham, who did not make the trip and is reportedly dealing with back spasms.

David Beckham was soccer's second-best-paid player last year, making $41.5 million in combined salary and endorsements, according to the prestigious magazine France Football, which compiles an annual list of international soccer's top earners. Only Barcelona's incomparable Lionel Messi, at $43.5 million, made more than Beckham in 2011. Messi is a three-time winner of the FIFA Balon d'Or as the sport's best player. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo ($38.5 million) and Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o ($30.7 million)

-- Soccer star David Beckham will star in a 30-second Super Bowl spot to help launch his underwear line with cheap-chic retailer H&M. H&M said the commerical -- which it described as "stimulating" -- would kick off the "long-term alliance" between Beckham and the retailer. The skivvies line will be available Feb. 2 and consist of nine pieces, including boxers, pajamas, long johns and vests. And presumably shoppers can look forward to more wares from this underwear alliance in the future.

The Galaxy officially welcomed David Beckham back into the fold Thursday — never mind the fact he'd never really left. Never mind too that he hasn't finished signing the five contracts he has with the team, some of which run more than 40 pages. "Once we agreed to terms, a handshake was good enough," said Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of AEG, the entertainment group that owns the Galaxy. "We'll let the lawyers handle the paperwork. " Three weeks ago it looked like the only thing the lawyers would be handling was the paperwork for Beckham's departure.

David Beckham put family before fortune Wednesday, deciding to leave a few million dollars in Europe to stay with the Galaxy through 2013. Details of the new two-year deal were not released, but published reports valued it at $15 million — below the 18-month, $18.7-million deal the deep-pocketed Qatari owners of French club Paris-St. Germain wanted to give him. Beckham was also said to have received lucrative offers to return home to play in England, but he turned those down as well when his wife and four children made it clear they wanted to stay in Southern California.

David Beckham's long goodbye might turn into a "nice to see you again. " Supposedly Paris-bound for months, the global icon won't be going to the French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain, and in fact, evidence strongly suggests that the 36-year-old will stay put with the Galaxy. That, however, does not mean there is a deal completed to keep Beckham with the Major League Soccer champions. Several hurdles remain but none appear insurmountable. "We're down the road," Tim Leiweke, president of AEG, which owns the Galaxy, said in a telephone interview with The Times on Tuesday.

Paris Saint-Germain's bid to sign David Beckham from the Galaxy could be thwarted by family matters, the French club's sporting director Leonardo said Friday. Leonardo has made no secret of his admiration for the 36-year-old former England captain. He said at a news conference there are other factors that may influence whether Beckham joins when the transfer window opens next week. "He is in L.A., he has his family over there. We have talked a lot and we are still talking, but I'm not sure it will be done," Leonardo said while Saint-Germain introduced Carlo Ancelotti as its new coach.

Au revoir , David Beckham. Although your aides-de-camp keep insisting nothing has been decided, everybody knows your move to the French club Paris Saint-Germain is pretty much a fait accompli . (By the way, David, I hope you're reading this closely because you really should learn the language.) When the deal does become official — which probably will be after New Year's to assure the greatest possible media coverage — we hear a "movie star" unveiling will be staged in central Paris.