David Beckham is poised to show Fabio Capello he is firmly committed to playing for England through to the 2010 World Cup - by signing for the Italian's former club AC Milan.
Milan expect Beckham to join them on loan this winter, and by forsaking the chance of a break between Major League Soccer seasons, the former England captain would be making a clear statement of his ambition.
Beckham should retain his place in the England squad for the planned friendly against Spain in February as a result of the move - head coach Capello had warned he would be left out if he was not playing club football.
The Italian giants could rake in a small fortune by selling extra seats and merchandise on the back of their move for the iconic midfielder, but Beckham's motivation will be professional rather than financial.
Milan officials are talking with the Beckham camp about the possibility of pricing the former Manchester United man away from the Los Angeles Galaxy for a short stint, and head coach Carlo Ancelotti claimed it would be "a pleasure" to have the 33-year-old at the San Siro.
A move for two to three months would have obvious benefits for Beckham, who with 107 caps is 18 appearances short of equaling the England record held by Peter Shilton.
Only last week, Capello stressed Beckham has a key role to play for the foreseeable future with England, but that hinges on him playing games, the more competitive the better.
Beckham will be submitting to intense scrutiny if he moves to Milan, given he has spent more than a year in the relatively weak American league, and Capello - who had two spells as boss of the Rossoneri - would pay keen attention to his performances.
Beckham is under contract with the LA Galaxy until 2012 but their season finishes on Sunday.
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said: "We are speaking with his agent but we believe he will arrive for some months on a free loan.
"We shall register him for some months and then he will leave. Beckham has chosen Milan. Our squad is ultra-competitive and it will remain this way, but Beckham is something different and intriguing."
Ancelotti said: "For me it will be a pleasure, Beckham is a serious athlete, a great professional.
"If he is available for four months with us, we will be very happy."
Former Milan and England striker Luther Blissett believes the move to Italy would pay off for Beckham.
"If he's really going to be part of this England revolution he's got to be playing regular, top-class football with top-class players," Blissett told Setanta Sports News.
"I think he'd make a great addition to what they have. And for Beckham to be playing alongside the likes of Kaka and (Clarence) Seedorf in midfield would be great for him as much as it would be for Milan."
There can be no guarantee of Beckham playing every week, given Milan have Kaka, Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo to select from in midfield.
But a move taking him to Milan possibly until March, allowing him to return to the United States for the start of the MLS campaign, would at least allow him to see some first-team action and remain match fit.
England have a busy start to 2009. They have a probable friendly against Spain lined up for February, plus a home friendly against Slovakia in March, and World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine in April, and Kazakhstan and Andorra in June.
Milan expect Beckham's proposed move to bring more supporters through the San Siro turnstiles.
Galliani told acmilan.com: "Beckham will most likely bring more fans rather than fewer ones to the stadium."
And sports business expert Professor Simon Chadwick, commenting on behalf of Weber Shandwick Sport, said: "Brand Beckham is still a global phenomenon and even in these difficult economic times, his star appeal in parts of the world such as the Middle East and Asia will see AC Milan netting up to £10million, just for a short stay.
"Many of the world's finest footballers have represented the Rossoneri, but Beckham is in his own league when it comes to global impact."
Beckham's prospective loan move has been welcomed by Serie A players as a signing that would benefit the league.
"We all know he is a great champion," said Udinese's Italy striker Antonio di Natale. "He will have no problem playing in our league, the league will be even better with him playing in it. We look forward to seeing him."
