LONDON -- David Beckham's possible jump to AC Milan could be more than just a temporary deal and might mean "arrivederci" to the Posh 'n Becks show in America.
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Beckham needs to stay competitive to keep his spot on the England team, and the loan would come with Major League Soccer in its offseason.
AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said Wednesday a deal is close. Beckham would join the Italian club in January and play in Serie A for a few months before returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
But there could be more to Beckham's move to Milan, a glamorous city as famous for fashion as for soccer and opera. It could be an ideal new home for Beckham and wife Victoria, the Spice Girl heavily into promoting her own fashion lines.
If her husband joins the likes of Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Kaka at Milan it will raise his profile in Europe again and make him even more marketable.
Milan could consider buying out the remainder of Beckham's five-year contract with the Galaxy, for whom his appearances and performances have been inconsistent. Beckham announced his move to the Galaxy in January 2007, although he didn't start playing for the team until July of that year after the conclusion of his contract with Real Madrid.
Although Beckham's move to America was greeted by hype and hoopla, it has hardly been a major success. He hobbled into MLS with an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for weeks. His arrival was responsible for a big hike in sales of tickets and merchandise, but his impact on the field was minimal.
For the second straight year, Los Angeles failed to make it to the MLS playoffs after a season in which the president/general manager who took him there, Alexi Lalas, was fired.
In his short spell, Beckham has played under three coaches -- Frank Yallop, Ruud Gullit and Bruce Arena -- or four if counting Cobi Jones. He was put in charge for one game before Arena replaced Gullit.
Such a history suggests Beckham could be going nowhere with the Galaxy despite his salary of $6.5 million a year - -twice that of the next-highest earner.
Although Beckham and his family are friends and neighbors with another celebrity couple, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, the former England captain may conclude his soccer career will stagnate if he stays in Los Angeles.
MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed the talks of Beckham joining AC Milan, but stressed that Beckham will be playing for the Galaxy at the start of the 2009 season.
A return to Europe, where he won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League with Manchester United and the Spanish league with Real Madrid, would certainly mean the chance of more championships.
