ROME, Italy (AFP) — Former England captain David Beckham will return to AC Milan in January with the Serie A title in his sights, he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Beckham spent the second half of last season on loan at Milan from his club Los Angeles Galaxy and will repeat the move when the January transfer window opens in just over a fortnight.

But while his first spell at the club ultimately ended in disappointment as Milan finished third and failed to pick up any silverware, Beckham believes this campaign could be different.

“The championship road is long, we have to catch and overtake Inter Milan but everything is possible,” he said.

“Of course it won’t be easy but every player at Milan is top quality and they’re playing at a high level.

“That makes me believe we can win the title.”

Milan sit second in Serie A, five points behind Inter after failing to capitalise on the champions’ draw at Atalanta last weekend.

Milan’s five-match winning run, which had seen them reduce the gap to Inter from nine to four points, could have been halved to just two but the rossonero were stunned 2-0 at home by Palermo.

While that gap is not insurmountable Milan had similar ground to make up when Beckham last joined the club only to fall further away and finish 10 points behind their city rivals.

But while Beckham is dreaming of adding a Serie A gong to his Premier League and La Liga medals, he also wants to win another Champions League crown.

And the 34-year-old would like nothing better than to face former club Manchester United, with whom he lifted the crown in 1999, in the next round of the competiton when Friday’s draw is made.

“I would love it if the draw pitted us against my former team, since I left in 2003 I’ve never returned to play at Old Trafford,” he added.

“It’s been seven years and I want it to happen. Me against Manchester United would be great, wouldn’t it.”