David Beckham [Images] will stay on loan at AC Milan for the rest of the season before returning to Los Angeles Galaxy although his long-term future remains unresolved.

"I'm really grateful to the LA Galaxy and AC Milan for making this dream deal happen," the England [Images] midfielder told Reuters in an email on Sunday.

"The perfect result for 2009 would be for me to help Milan to reach the Champions League [Images] and for the LA Galaxy to make the playoffs and win the MLS Cup."

Milan said in a statement that Beckham would stay at the club until June 30.

He will then return to Los Angeles but Milan made no mention of what will happen at the end of the U.S. Major League Soccer season in November.

The Rossoneri are hoping to take him back at the end of the year, when he has a clause in his Galaxy contract allowing him to leave.

Beckham was happy with the first phase of the agreement.

"It allows me to play for AC Milan and the LA Galaxy in the same year, and at the same time to continue my commitment to develop soccer in the United States, which is something I am passionate about," Beckham said.

"My family is happy and settled and will remain in LA."

GOOD START

The 33-year-old midfielder joined Milan on a two-month loan in January in a bid to safeguard his England place during the long U.S. close season from October to March.

The plan worked and he equalled Bobby Moore's England outfield record of 108 caps when he played in last month's friendly defeat in Spain.

Beckham was scheduled to return to the United States on Monday but after a good start to his career in Italy [Images] he asked to stay permanently.

Milan, third in Serie A and out of the UEFA [Images] Cup, tried to buy him outright but could not agree a fee with Galaxy after weeks of wrangling.

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Saturday that the former Manchester United [Images] winger would be giving up "a mountain of money" to make any loan deal go through.

A Milan source, who said Beckham's last game for the Italians would be at Fiorentina on May 31, said the club had paid less than 5 million euros (4.5 million pounds).

Beckham, the most marketable footballer in the world, joined Galaxy in 2007 from Real Madrid [Images] in a reported five-year $250 million deal.

He played for Milan in their Serie A league game at home to Atalanta on Sunday.

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