David Beckham lit up a subdued transfer deadline day in Europe by securing perhaps the final move of his globetrotting career, a surprise short-term deal with ambitious French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Mario Balotelli, a headline-grabber at the opposite end of his football career, finalised his switch from Manchester City to AC Milan for US$27 million. Otherwise, there was plenty of speculation but precious little activity as the January window prepared to shut on Thursday.
With economic problems continuing to hit the continent hard, top clubs have also been forced to rein in their spending to ensure they adhere to UEFA’s strict financial fair play rules.
The English Premier League, usually the scene of last-gasp trolley dashes among clubs, was largely quiet while Inter Milan was the busiest of Serie A’s major teams but only to bring in four unheralded names.
Nothing, though, was ever going to upstage PSG’s signing of Beckham, who moves to the French capital on a five-month deal during which time he will donate his salary to a local children’s charity.
“I am 37 years old and I got offered a lot of offers, more offers now than I have probably had in my career,” said the former England captain, who revealed he rejected bids from Premier League teams.
