AC Milan are among several clubs in Italy interested in signing Harry Maguire from Manchester United, according to reports.

The Red Devils are willing to listen to offers for Maguire who has long been considered surplus to requirements by Erik ten Hag.

The centre-back was stripped of the United captaincy over the summer and has started just once in the Premier League so far this season, and even that was down to the club’s injury crisis with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane sidelined.

Maguire nearly left Old Trafford in the summer only for a move to West Ham collapse, with the 30-year-old determined to fight for his place at the club.

But with his game time not improving, the England star recently said: ‘I am not going to sit here all my life and play once a month,’ suggesting he was open to a January exit.

This news has renewed the Irons’ interest in Maguire but it turns out they are not the only ones keen on the player, with talkSPORT reporting that ‘AC Milan are among a host of Serie A clubs monitoring the situation’.

It is said that the move to Italy could appeal to Maguire as he could emulate former United and England defender Chris Smalling who has enjoyed a revival in form since joining Roma in 2019.

Serie A has proven a popular destination for Three Lions players looking to prove a point, with former Chelsea starlets Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori enjoying success at Roma and AC Milan respectively.

Of course, Maguire could still revive his United career, as with the club’s defence looking incredibly shaky in his absence, he could yet prove to be the answer to their problems.

The Red Devils currently sit 10th in the table, eight points off leaders Tottenham, with a trip to Sheffield United this Saturday night up next.

In the meantime, Maguire is expected to start England’s clash against Italy on Tuesday night, where victory for the Three Lions will see qualification for Euro 2024.

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Italy manager Luciano Spalletti has hailed Tottenham full-back Destiny Udogie as a player who ‘has everything’ and can ‘make the difference’ in the clash with England on Tuesday night.

The 20-year-old arrived at Spurs over the summer from Udinese and has made an impressive impact, quickly cementing his place in Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI.

His performances at left-back have earned a first cap for Italy, coming on in the 4-0 win over Malta on Saturday and he will hope to earn a second cap at Wembley on Tuesday.

Given how Spalletti has been talking him up, it is likely that the Spurs man will be involved in north London.

‘Udogie has everything,’ Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia. ‘Like all young players, he needs experience, but he has an important engine and in a game where physicality and strength can make the difference, he can help us.’

England just need a draw to confirm qualification for Euro 2024 on Tuesday night, while a win would see the Three Lions secure top spot in the group.

Italy are three points behind England and level on 10 points with Ukraine, so a defeat would not be disastrous for their chances, but a win or draw would put them in a good position, with games against North Macedonia and Ukraine to come.

‘International players see a chance to qualify in these sorts of games and wants to qualify through these games,’ said Spalletti.

‘Those who go on the pitch thinking qualification will be determined in the following matches, are not international players. This is a game where we must be happy to overcome the limits everyone puts in front of us. This is where we see the personality of the team.

‘Players already know many things. We must continue to improve, give more and show an attitude that makes people happy and strengthens us.’

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Reece James is set to give Chelsea a much-needed boost by returning for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Arsenal.

The defender has endured another injury-hit campaign so far this term, with Reece missing the last seven weeks with a hamstring strain.

The defender served a one-match suspension for verbally abusing a match official after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in September.

He’s since been working on his rehabilitation from a hamstring strain and, with Marc Gusto currently serving a ban, Mauricio Pochettino is desperate to have James back.

And the good news for the Blues is that James is closing in on a return and is expected to be fit for the visit of the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying high in the Premier League and went joint-top of the table with rivals Tottenham after beating Manchester City before the international break.

Chelsea trail Arsenal by nine points, having beaten Burnley 4-1 in their last outing.

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Gareth Southgate has hailed the performances of Marc Guehi, hinting that the Crystal Palace star could start for England against Italy.

The Three Lions take on Gli Azzurri at Wembley on Tuesday night, where victory for the home side will secure qualification for next summer’s Euro 2024.

Many of England’s best players were rested for last Friday’s friendly win against Australia, with Southgate expected to stick to the team that he knows best against the reigning European champions.

There is a question mark over the defence however, as while Harry Maguire will likely start, his usual centre-back partner John Stones may not be fit enough.

The Manchester City star has missed much of the season with a hip injury but was able to play the last half hour of the Australia win, though Southgate admits he’s unsure whether he’ll be able to play against Italy.

‘John… we’re working closely with his club in terms of his recovery. He’s been out a long time so we’ve got to keep assessing him,’ the England boss said in hispre-match press conference on Monday.

As for who could step into Stones’ place, Guehi will be the favourite to do so having done it in England’s last qualifier against Ukraine in September.

The 23-year-old was also left on the bench against Socceroos, with Lewis Dunk, Fikayo Tomori and Levi Colwill starting instead, suggesting that Southgate was resting him for the Italy clash.

‘Marc is doing really, really well. He’s played with great maturity in the two games last month,’ Southgate said when asked about the Palace defender.

‘At times he might not catch the eye in the way that some other players do because he’s in the right place, so he’s not having to turn round and cover for something that he’s got wrong.

‘He’s a very calm player, positionally excellent. Composed with the ball, very good mentality, so we think he’s developing very well.’

Guehi moved to Palace from Chelsea in 2021, getting called up to the England squad for the first time and he has remained a near ever-present in the national team set-up ever since, winning six caps so far.

His impressive performances have seen him linked with some of the Premier League’s top clubs, while this season his efforts have helped the Eagles to ninth in the table after eight games, with only Arsenal and Manchester City conceding less goals in that time.

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Gareth Southgate does not believe Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia is a reason for England fans to boo him and remarkably claims: ‘I’d back him against pretty much everyone in the country in terms of what he stands for and what he believes in.’

Henderson started in England’s win over Australia on Friday but was met with boos from some of the home fans at Wembley.

This comes as a result of his summer move to the Saudi Pro League from Liverpool, flying in the face of his public support of the LGBTQ+ community in the past.

Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, so Henderson’s move to Al-Ettifaq has been viewed as a huge let down for the community he has showed support to in the past.

Southgate’s decision to keep picking the 33-year-old despite his move to the Saudi Pro League has also come into question, but the England boss says he will continue to select whoever he feels will do the best job for him, and does not think Henderson should be booed for his move to Al-Ettifaq.

‘I’ll always pick the players that I think are the best players to represent the team,’ Southgate told a press conference on Monday. ‘That give us the best chance of winning, unless there’s something I feel is not appropriate.

‘In this instance, people might disagree with Jordan’s decision, given the stance he’s taken in the past to support the LGBT community, but I don’t think that’s a reason to not select him and I don’t actually think that’s a reason to boo him.’

Southgate insisted that Henderson’s ‘values and principles’ have not changed despite his move to Saudi Arabia, although he admitted that the transfer does not align with them.

‘I don’t understand why we would boo our own team. What I do understand is that people would feel that the decision Jordan made to go and play there doesn’t align with his strong support of the LGBTQ community in the past,’ he said.

‘I’ve not seen him comment anywhere differently, I don’t believe he’s an individual whose values and principles have changed.

‘I’d back him against pretty much everyone in the country in terms of what he stands for and what he believes in. But I accept that his decision to go and play there doesn’t align with that. So he understands that, he accepts that.

‘But I repeat, when we are playing for England I feel that everybody should be behind the team. But if people choose not to be then we have to deal with that.’

England host Italy at Wembley in Euro 2024 qualifying on Tuesday night.

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Sheikh Jassim’s bid for Manchester United was doomed from the start after he angered the Glazers by vowing to ‘restore former glories’ at Old Trafford.

The Qatari businessman withdrew his bid for the club on Saturday after the Glazers turned down a fresh approach from Jassim’s representatives.

Jassim had been the favourite from the outset, given the financial backing that the Qatari had.

Unlike Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Jassim was aiming for 100% full control of United and he vowed to wipe the club’s debt, as well as financing a redeveloped Old Trafford or building a new stadium.

But, while both parties had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to enter negotiations, they made opening statements about their intention to buy the club.

While Ratcliffe, a Manchester-born billionaire, vowed to restore the ‘United’ into Manchester United, Jassim’s promise was bolder.

The Qatari suggested attempted to curry favour with supporters by taking a sly dig at the Glazers’ ownership of the club, saying they would ‘restore United to former glories’.

This angered the Americans, and negotiations with Jassim’s team did not improve from there on.

Part of Jassim’s bid was vow to wipe the club’s debt and invest in the infrastructure, but the Glazers felt this was a pointless promise as they would not receive any of the benefits.

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Patrick Vieira has praised incoming Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and has suggested Erik ten Hag will enjoy working under the Ineos founder.

After a bidding process that has lasted for the best part of a year, Ratcliffe appears to have finally ended an impasse in talks with the Glazer family by offering to buy a 25 per cent stake for a fee in the region of £1.3billion.

As part of the arrangement, Ratcliffe will take control of sporting affairs with the Glazers taking a back seat after 18 years at the helm.

He has already identified a number of issues that need addressing on and off the pitch, with the expansion and improvement of Old Trafford an immediate priority.

A number of new faces could also be appointed, with former Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell the leading candidate to overhaul recruitment.

Ten Hag has played a prominent role in United’s transfer business since his appointment – with the likes of Sofyan Amrabat, Antony, Wout Weghorst and Tyrell Malacia all signed at his request – and he could see his influence diminish in this respect.

But around the training ground he should have nothing to worry about, with former Nice boss Vieira – who spent just over a year working under Ineos following their takeover – revealing that Ratcliffe does not interfere with the playing side of the operation.

‘He’d never interfere with my work,’ Vieira told FourFourTwo when asked about his relationship with Ratcliffe.

‘We’d talk about football when we met, about the team and our lives, but he’s not an owner who will get involved too much and prevent the manager from doing his job.

‘His ambitions and expectations are high, so you know where you stand, but you can do your job freely.’

Vieira still has a high opinion of Ratcliffe despite being sacked in December 2020 after a run of five straight losses across all competitions.

Nice are currently managed by Francesco Farioli and are second in Ligue 1 after an excellent start to the season, with the club unbeaten through the first eight matches of the campaign and one point ahead of big spending PSG.

In addition to making his own hires in the recruitment department at United, Ratcliffe could also hand former head of British Cycling Sir Dave Brailsford and ex-PSG chief Jean-Claude Blanc – both of whom are part of the current Ineos sporting setup – prominent roles behind the scenes.

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Chelsea may delay Romeo Lavia’s return from injury until December after his recent injury setback.

Lavia is still to make his debut for the Blues after completing his £58million move from Southampton during the summer transfer window.

The 19-year-old spent his first weeks at the club working on his fitness, getting up to speed under Mauricio Pochettino, but his introduction to the side was delayed in September after suffering an ankle injury in training.

Reports suggested the midfielder was facing six weeks out having suffered some ligament damage. However, the Mail report Lavia is no closer to making his debut and will remain sidelined until the end of November at the earliest.

The Belgian has reportedly been able to remove a protective boot he has worn on his right ankle and begin rehab work in the pool. But it could be some time before he is ready to resume first-team training.

The report adds a November return is viewed as optimistic within the club with Chelsea ready to be cautious over the youngster and hold him back until early December.

Pochettino dismissed the possibility of Lavia being back in action after the current international break with the Blues resuming their Premier League campaign at home to Arsenal on Saturday 21 October.

The Argentine said: ‘I cannot tell you [when he will be back] but he is still not running. After the international break he will not be back.’

A number of Chelsea stars withdrew from international duty during the break from domestic matters.

Cole Palmer will miss England Under-21s European Championship qualifier against Ukraine after picking up a knock in the 9-1 thrashing of Serbia. Armando Broja meanwhile left the Albania squad early to return to Cobham ahead of schedule.

The club’s other striker Nicolas Jackson also returned from international duty ahead of schedule. The summer signing from Villarreal has undergone a minor wrist surgery having been spotted wearing a split in wins over Fulham and Burnley.

Chelsea face an anxious wait over Axel Disasi. The 25-year-old has been ever-present in Pochettino’s starting XI this season, called into the France squad to replace the injured Dayot Upamecano.

Disasi himself withdrew shortly after however, undergoing a scan which revealed ‘a tear in the quadriceps of the left thigh’, according to a statement released by the French FA.

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Win and they’re in. England can qualify for next summer’s European Championship finals by beating Italy at Wembley, leaving Gareth Southgate two Group C matches in hand to give valuable minutes to fringe players.

The Three Lions have already gained revenge for the heartache inflicted by the Azzurri in the Euro 2020 final a couple of years ago by winning 2-1 in Naples but it would be extra special to put a dent in Italy’s bid to go to Germany while guaranteeing their own place in the tournament.

England have won their last dozen European qualifiers on home soil and can extend that record against a team hit by injury and a betting scandal which saw Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo withdraw from the squad while investigations are carried out.

England failed to sparkle in Friday’s 1-0 victory over Australia but Southgate used the friendly to give experience to players who don’t usually get a look-in and key personnel will be recalled to face the Italians, who beat whipping boys Malta 4-0 on Saturday.

Just three points separate the two nations so it’s important for England to win as they want to head into December’s draw for the finals as group winners.

The only significant absence is Bukayo Saka and though he will be missed Southgate’s attacking options include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, with Ollie Watkins raring for more action after netting the winner against the Socceroos.

Kane is England’s captain, all-time leading scorer and talisman and is 7/2 with bet365 and William Hill to open the scoring after hitting nine goals for Bayern Munich following his £84million move from Tottenham. He also found the net in last month’s friendly with Scotland at Hampden Park.

Bellingham has also been prolific since moving to Real Madrid and has scored ten times in as many matches, while providing three assists, and he can also make the scoreboard tick over at 11/2 with Sky Bet.

Davide Frattesi, the 24-year-old Inter Milan midfielder, has scored four goals in his last three last three internationals and is big at 10/1 to find the net for the visitors at some stage while over 2.5 goals is 6/5 with William Hill, who go 8/1 the match finishes 2-1 in England’s favour.

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• Woking, Whitby, York and Ebbsfleet form tonight’s FA Cup yankee.

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Rob Holding says he is hoping to inspire his younger Crystal Palace teammates in the same way two former Arsenal captains inspired him.

The defender switched the Emirates for Selhurst Park on deadline day, ending a seven-year spell in north London where he made 162 appearances across all competitions and won two FA Cups.

During that time he skippered his side a few times and played with several Gunners greats and notable club captains including Granit Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Martin Odegaard.

As one of the more experienced players in the Palace squad, both in terms of age and his participation in European football, Holding hopes he can be a leader for his new side and his cited former captains Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny as the pair that he learnt the most from.

‘I’ve got a lot of experience, 28-years-old now and they’ve got quite a young team at Palace, they’ve got some young lads coming through,’ the centre-back told talkSPORT.

‘Any little things that I’ve picked up from my time at Arsenal when I first stepped into the changing room and you had the likes of Mertesacker and Koscielny, they are just leaders.

‘If I can take any bits that I got from them and pass them onto the lads that are a bit younger at Palace now, then I can do that.’

The average age of the Eagles’ starting XIs this season is actually just over 27, which is actually the joint-third oldest in the Premier League, the same as Newcastle and only behind Fulham and West Ham.

Nevertheless, several of Roy Hodgson’s key players are on the younger side, including Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Michael Olise.

Mertesacker became Arsenal captain in the summer that Holding signed for The Gunners, taking over from the retiring Mikel Arteta, and the World Cup winner is now the club’s Academy Manager.

Koscielny took on the armband in 2018 following the German’s retirement, but would hold the captaincy for just one season before departing the club in controversial circumstances to join Bordeaux, retiring there in 2022.

Holding has only made one appearance for Palace so far, in the 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester United, but he could yet make his league debut in red and blue this Saturday at Newcastle

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