Capello endorses Beckham move

(GETTY IMAGES)

England boss Fabio Capello believes David Beckham would be a "great acquisition" for AC Milan should he complete a short-term loan move from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Capello, a former boss of the San Siro club, worked with Beckham at Real Madrid and was impressed by the player's work-rate.

"If Milan sign him they will make a great acquisition," said Capello via satellite to Milan's World Business Forum.

"He is a very focused lad," he said. "He is a professional.

"When I left him out of the team in Madrid because he had signed the contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, he continued to come to the pitch to train and I put him back in the team."

Capello's endorsement came shortly after it was revealed Beckham's lawyers had brought forward talks with Milan over the switch.

Originally scheduled for next week, the player's representatives and Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani met this afternoon to thrash out the finer details of a move which would see Beckham link-up with Milan in January before rejoining the Galaxy for the start of the 2009 Major League Soccer season in March.

Galliani announced in a press conference: "At first we thought they would arrive next week but instead Beckham's lawyers will be in Milan today.

"We will begin negotiations.

"I do not know if we will have a positive outcome or not but I hope and I believe that we will."

The former England captain had been a target of Milan before, in January 2007, but opted instead to move to Los Angeles from Real Madrid.

Beckham, who is under contract with the Galaxy until June 2012, has shown a keen interest in joining AC Milan during the MLS close-season to keep up his fitness and help his England prospects.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has given the blessing for the 33-year-old to join up with his squad, and provide more competition for places.

Ancelotti is looking forward to working with Beckham, who won his 107th England cap in the World Cup qualifying victory over Belarus earlier this month and is just one short of Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player.