David Beckham's loan move to AC Milan is set to spice up ticket and shirt sales although its impact on sponsorship and television deals may be negligible because of his short stay in Italy's fashion capital.
The Los Angeles Galaxy player will join on January 7 and is due to return for the start of the Major League Soccer campaign in late March. The 33-year-old wants competitive action during the US close season to boost his chances of an England place.
The fashion icon's arrival will surely draw glitz and glamour to the stylish northern Italian city and the club will also benefit on and off the pitch from the move.
However, Milan are unlikely to post huge financial gains in less than three months, according to Stephanus Tekle, senior consultant at the Sport+Markt consultancy firm.
"Certainly, David Beckham is a star -- as is his wife. But the effects of his stay in Milan are not as great as they would have been at the peak of his career," Tekle told Reuters.
"A sponsor is not very likely to start a long-term cooperation with a club due to one additional soccer player who will only be there for a limited period."
Beckham, one of the world's most marketable sports figures, is the latest top player to join the Milan club owned by Italian prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi.
His brand, shared with his former pop star turned fashion designer wife Victoria, is a byword for commercial success even if he is past his best as a player.
"Running a football club isn't just about putting 11 men on the pitch and winning games, it's about creating and sustaining excitement, filling stadiums, generating sponsorship, merchandising and marketing. It's about having a bold idea," Milan's chief executive Adriano Galliani said recently.
Some media have speculated that Beckham, who joined the Galaxy in 2007 as part of a bid to boost American soccer, could end up at Milan permanently if they bought out the remainder of his five-year contract worth $250 million.
The player, Milan, Galaxy and the MLS have all denied this.
Professor Simon Chadwick, director of the Centre for the International Business of Sport at Coventry University, has estimated Milan could earn up to 10 million pounds from his arrival through ticket and merchandise sales.
On the Internet, fans can already order red and black AC Milan shirts bearing Beckham's name.
"We are very happy because Beckham will reinforce the team and will probably increase the visibility of our logo," said Umberto Pieraccioni, chief executive of Bwin Italia, an arm of the Austrian Internet bookmaker that sponsors the club's shirt.
But German sporting goods firm Adidas, which sponsors Milan and Beckham, does not expect a major positive impact.
"AC Milan will have the ability to have one of the best and most experienced players in the world playing for the club, so it could definitely be a win-win situation," the company said in a statement sent to Reuters.
"Besides the obvious jersey sales with Beckham's name and number we do not expect an enormous commercial impact because it will only be for a short time."
During the short-term loan, new television deals for the club or the Italian Serie A league are also unlikely.
Milan use Media Partner & Silva to market their international television rights, meaning the agency and not the club can expect new income.
Potential markets are in England, where Serie A rights have not been sold yet, and Asia.
"I see a positive effect but not a big economic impact," said Oliver Ciesla, vice president of TV rights at sports marketing agency Sportfive.