Fabio Capello has rescued David Beckham's career once, bringing him back from Real Madrid's reserve team to play a pivotal role in their late run to the Spanish title last season, and he appears determined to give a similar kiss of life to the former captain's international ambitions after it was revealed yesterday that a two-month loan deal, taking Beckham from Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan, is being negotiated between the clubs.

It is understood that the England manager telephoned Adriano Galliani, the Milan managing director, to vouch for Beckham's character and professionalism before the Italian club agreed in principle to the deal, with Franco Baldini, Capello's assistant, having a similar conversation with Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan coach.

While the deal suits Milan from a commercial point of view and could earn the club £10million, according to some estimates, Beckham's willingness to sacrifice his close-season break in the United States springs from his fervent desire to prolong an international career that was in danger of stalling.

The 33-year-old has become an increasingly peripheral figure in recent months after the emergence of Theo Walcott and had no guarantee of further involvement with Capello's squad beyond next month's friendly against Germany in Berlin, where he is on course to equal Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an outfield player. The possibility of being stranded on that number, even alongside such a legendary figure as England's only World Cup-winning captain, would have been difficult to take for a man who places great value on personal achievement.

Capello omitted Beckham on fitness grounds from England's friendly against Switzerland in February because it fell outside the Major League Soccer season, but his willingness to intervene to help to secure the move to the San Siro suggests that he wants him in his squad on a permanent basis, at least in the short term. The Italian does not do sentiment and his words to Galliani about Beckham being one of the best professionals he has worked with were heartfelt.

Milan, who attempted to sign Beckham on three occasions, most recently when he left Madrid 18 months ago, initially asked to take him on loan from the Galaxy for six months, a request that was rejected because it would have entailed him missing the first three months of the American season.

A final deal has yet to be completed, but the Galaxy have said that they will allow Beckham to train with Milan for two months, with a view to playing some matches, in return for them meeting his basic wages of £80,000 a week and the arrangement of a friendly between the clubs in the US next summer. Negotiations are continuing on a deal over Beckham's commercial rights.

While Capello was more than happy to intercede on Beckham's behalf, it is believed that the player made most of the running. Beckham first sought out Capello while in Barcelona for England's World Cup qualifying tie against Andorra last month, when it was agreed that the best move for all parties would be for him to play for a top-flight club in Europe. Beckham had no wish to return to England and with no offers from Spain, a move to Milan provided the obvious solution.

How much Beckham will play in Serie A remains to be seen, with Ancelotti known to harbour doubts about how the player can be incorporated into a wing-less, width-less team, but Galliani was talking a good game yesterday. “Beckham has chosen Milan,” he said. “We shall register him for some months and then he will leave. Our squad is ultra-competitive and it will remain this way, but Beckham is something different and intriguing.” His words would be a fitting epithet to a remarkable career.