Beckhams in L.A., David to Galaxy looking likely

                    

	David Beckham is not racking up much playing time for Real Madrid. Denis Doyle/Getty Images
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David Beckham is the epitome of fashion at the moment. His hair is perfectly disheveled, his white shirt and shorts show no wrinkles and his shiny shoes look as if they've never touched a blade of grass. Unfortunately for Beckham, this is the first half of Real Madrid's game against Athletic Bilbao and the star midfielder is riding the pine for the 11th time this season.

This is not how Beckham, who has started only one league match at home this season, envisioned things turning out when he came to the Bernabeu from Manchester United in 2003. If things go his way, however, a change of scenery will soon fix that.

While Beckham sat on the bench Sunday, his wife, Victoria, was house hunting some 6,000 miles away in Los Angeles.

The former Posh Spice was shown a handful of properties in the Beverly Hills and Hollywood areas over a span of three hours, and according to one source was dead set on having a place by January. She is currently letting her broker handle the details with the hope that that a place can be secured before New Year's. The emphasis on January is interesting because that is when the soccer transfer window opens and Beckham, whose contract with Madrid expires after this season, will be free to negotiate with other clubs.

Ever since Major League Soccer implemented the Designated Player Rule (better known as the Beckham Rule) before the MLS Cup, allowing teams to sign one player whose salary is not limited in by the league's salary cap, rumors of Beckham's eminent arrival to the States has been rampant. Combine that with his lack of playing time and inability to fully adapt to living in Spain and a move couldn't come at a better time.

There is nothing more for Beckham to prove at the international level, and now that he is no longer England's captain there's also no real need for him to play in a "top flight" league. While he still has his looks, skills and an off-the-chart Q rating, he should move and begin the next phase of his life. His presence would not only revitalize interest in soccer in the States, but it would also boost his endorsement portfolio, which has taken a hit since he moved to Spain and will continue to do so as his playing time diminishes.

The fact that Beckham would chose Los Angeles as his next home and the Galaxy as his next team makes perfect sense. Last year he opened up The David Beckham Academy at The Home Depot Center, home of the Galaxy, in conjunction with the Anschutz Entertainment Group, owners of the Galaxy. In fact, Beckham's relationship with billionaire Phillip Anschutz, who also owns the Millennium Dome, home of Beckham's London academy, has raised rumors that Beckham could also become a part owner of the Galaxy at some point.

So in terms of Beckham's playing career and business endeavors, there doesn't seem to be a better location, but it's never about the guy is it? Behind every great man is a great Spice Girl, so the person who could put the final bow on this gift to the MLS is Victoria, who has never liked the Spanish lifestyle and yearns for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

That much was evident as she looked for homes in locations where stars reside. One of the houses Victoria looked at was only five doors down from their friends, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who invited the Beckhams to their wedding in Rome last month, and another residence she checked out once belonged to Lionel Richie.

Of course this could all be a false flag and the Beckhams could just be looking for a summer home while David checks in on his academy and Victoria does whatever it is that she does these days. After all, the pound is closing in on 2 to 1 against the dollar, and with the U.S. real estate market going down, there has never been a better time for a Brit to buy a house in L.A. For the sake of the MLS and the Galaxy, however, let's hope it's a sign of things to come and that the next purchase the Beckhams make is a helicopter. What? You didn't think the Beckhams were going to schlep through L.A. traffic everyday, did you?

You'd have a better chance of catching Becks start a game at the Bernabeu this season.