Marcus Rashford’s proposed move away from Manchester United has been derailed by Kyle Walker announcing his desire to leave Manchester City thanks to a Serie A rule that prevents AC Milan signing both of them.

Rashford wants out of Old Trafford having announced his desire for a “new challenge” last month, but options are thin on the ground thanks to his £300,000 per week wages and his lack of interest in a move to Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

Talks have reportedly been held with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, while West Ham have been asked to be kept informed and Arsenal made a ‘phone call’ to the Red Devils.

But reports have suggested it’s AC Milan who are most advanced in their bid to sign Rashford, whose brother and agent is said to have flown to Italy for talks this week.

Milan sporting advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic – a former teammate for Rashford’s at Old Trafford – denied this was the case, but is a big fan of the England international.

“I know Rashford very well, I played with him when he was young, now he’s a grown-up and has done great things with Manchester United,” Ibrahimovic said.

“I don’t think I need to convince him, because Milan are one of the biggest clubs in the world and everyone wants to come here.

“As of today, it is not an easy operation, but we have not spoken to him yet. We’ll see if we will speak to him.”

But his move to the Serie A side has been cast into doubt thanks to Guardiola’s bombshell announcement on Saturday that Kyle Walker has asked to leave the club this month.

“Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad,” said Guardiola.

“We cannot understand [what] the club did these years without Kyle. It’s impossible. He’s been our right-back, giving us something we didn’t have. But now in his mind, for many reasons, he would like to explore if he can go to another country to play his last years.”

The Telegraph claim it’s again AC Milan who are leading the race for Walker’s signature; they’re said to be ‘confident’ of securing his transfer despite there being no formal contact between the two clubs as yet.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed on Sunday that there’s also predictable interest from Saudi Arabia.

He wrote on X: ‘Kyle Walker will hear AC Milan proposal as there’s also interest from Saudi Pro League clubs since last summer.

‘Milan are keen on discussing with Walker with hope not to spend any money in transfer fee, if Man City let him leave for free now.’

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Only one of Rashford or Walker can be signed by Milan though as the Serie A side only have one spot for non-EU players available in their squad.

It’s all quite complicated thanks to some rule flip-flopping in recent years, the crux of the matter being that each Serie A club can have two non-EU players registered at any one time and Rashford or Walker would be Milan’s second after Nigerian Samuel Chukwueze.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and others who break this non-EU rule slipped through the net in a grace period ahead of the 2024/2025 season.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed who’s to blame at Manchester United for the delay in agreeing a new deal with Kobbie Mainoo amid links with Chelsea.

Mainoo was previously heralded as one of United’s ‘untouchable’ stars along with Alejandro Garnacho, but the club’s dire finances now mean every player has a price.

Chelsea have leapt to the front of the queue to sign Mainoo, who is said to be ‘unhappy’ with the initial terms offered by INEOS in negotiations over a new contract.

Mainoo currently earns just £20,000 per week, a drop in the ocean compared to Casemiro’s £350,000 per week wedge, and reportedly wants a salary of around £200,000 that reflects his importance to the team.

It’s claimed United would listen to offers of £100m for Mainoo but want to keep him at the club, and Romano claims that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival at the club, as well as Dan Ashworth’s brief tenure as sporting director, has led to delays in negotiations over an extension.

“They want to insist on contract negotiations with Kobbie Mainoo,” said Romano on his YouTube channel. “So after extending the contract of Amad Diallo to 2030, Man Utd will try to push also with Kobbie Mainoo.

“Amorim in his press conference said ‘we want to keep our best players, we want to keep our academy players, I’m very happy with Kobbie and how he’s developing.’

“But now for Man Utd it’s going to be time to try and reach an agreement with the player.”

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“Remember that there were changes in the Manchester United board” continued Romano. “New owners, then new directors, then Dan Ashworth leaves and now Jason Wilcox [taking the lead].

“So many changes and it means that sometimes you have to restart on some points in the conversations. But Man Utd are working on the new contract of Kobbie Mainoo.”

United boss Ruben Amorim was asked about the futures of Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho ahead of Man Utd’s clash with Arsenal on Sunday and insisted he wants to keep the promising pair at the club.

He said: “I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” he said.

“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna. Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club.

“We know the position that the club is in at the moment, but we will see. I’m very happy, I like our players, especially the guys from our academy.”

Manchester United are pushing to sign Goncalo Inacio from Sporting in January despite Ruben Amorim insisting he wouldn’t target his former players in the winter window.

Amorim is desperate to bolster his squad in January as he looks to revert their slide down the Premier League table, but is hampered by their need to stay within the bounds of PSR regulations.

Reports suggest United will need to buy in order to sell, which explains why Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are no longer ‘untouchable’ as two of few saleable assets in the squad.

READ MORE: Man Utd keep or sell: Amorim rebuild begins with 11 sales including Rashford and Garnacho

Mainoo is drawing interest from Chelsea while Garnacho has been ‘mentioned’ in talks with PSG over a swap deal for Nuno Mendes, and is also thought to be Antonio Conte’s top target to replace seemingly PSG-bound Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

As well as left-back Mendes, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Amorim is also keen on reuniting with Inacio, but that would mean the head coach having to welch on a promise he made to Sporting when he left for United in November.

Amorim said: “I will not sign any Sporting player at Man United in January… then, what happens in the summer I don’t know.

“Sporting players are good players. We will see what happens…”

The report claims that United may offer to take Inacio on loan with the option of a €40million (£33.5million) permanent deal in the summer.

It’s stated that agent Miguel Pinho – who can name Amorim, Bruno Fernandes and United target Nuno Mendes on their books – was in England to speak to United this week.

Pinho may have been discussing any number of his clients but A Bola believe that United are prepared to formulate a deal for Inacio, with Borussia Dortmund providing competition for his transfer.

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Jonny Evans has been linked with Rangers ahead of his contract expiring this summer, while Victor Lindelof also looks set to leave the club, with Leicester among his suitors.

Another left-footed centre back as competition for Lisandro Martinez may then become the priority with Inacio fitting the bill to bolster the back line.

Amorim was asked about the futures of Mainoo and Garnacho ahead of Man Utd’s clash with Arsenal on Sunday and insisted he wants to keep the promising pair at the club.

He said: “I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” he said.

“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna. Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club.

“We know the position that the club is in at the moment, but we will see. I’m very happy, I like our players, especially the guys from our academy.”

Manchester United have set their asking price for Alejandro Garnacho, who has been ‘mentioned’ by the Red Devils in talks over a swap deal with PSG and is wanted by Antonio Conte at Napoli.

Speculation over Garnacho’s future at Old Trafford has been rife since Amorim dropped him for the Manchester derby in December, with the winger unable to regain his place with any regularity since.

The Argentina international was previously seen as one of four ‘untouchable’ players in the Red Devils squad, along with Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana, but amid struggles to raise any funds for a rebuild while sticking to the PSR guidelines, INEOS reportedly see every player as being available for the right price.

That, along with his frustration over the terms of an extension, is the reason for Chelsea’s interest in academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo and could also see Garnacho leave the club.

GIVEMESPORT claim Garnacho’s asking price is ‘not quite’ as high as the £100m they want for Mainoo, while Italian journalist Michele Criscitiello says United want just €50m (£42m) for the 20-year-old.

READ MORE: Man Utd keep or sell: Amorim rebuild begins with 11 sales including Rashford and Garnacho

Criscitiello claims Napoli boss Antonio Conte wants Garnacho to replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who’s set to leave the Serie A side for PSG for around £60m, with sporting director Giovanni Manna already working on the deal.

He wrote on X: ‘SPORTITALIA EXCLUSIVE – Conte has decided: for the post-Kvara only one name: Antonio wants Alejandro Garnacho, a 2004 Spaniard from Manchester United. Price 50 million. Manna is already at work but Conte has shown the way.’

The Independent’s Miguel Delaney claims United have also brought up Garnacho in talks with PSG.

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Ruben Amorim is desperate to bring players in this month, with wing-back a particular area of concern for the new head coach.

He’s supposedly set his sights on Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes, whose future in the French capital is in major doubt as he enters the final 18 months of his current deal.

Reports earlier this week claimed the 22-year-old is not satisfied with his salary and is ‘very keen’ on a reunion with former Sporting coach Amorim; he’s told PSG that.

The Red Devils would either have to sell before making a move for Mendes, with PSG reportedly wanting around £50m for the Portugal international, or offer up a player in exchange. Hence ‘mentioning’ Garnacho in negotiations.

The Ligue 1 giants have previously been linked with Marcus Rashford, and continued interest would make things easy for United given the forward is on his way out this month anyway, but PSG have moved away from signing star names in recent times and Rashford looks destined for Serie A, although Arsenal are also thought to be in the mix.

Amorim was asked about the futures of Mainoo and Garnacho ahead of Man Utd’s clash with Arsenal on Sunday and insisted he wants to keep the promising pair at the club.

He said: “I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” he said.

“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna. Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club.

“We know the position that the club is in at the moment, but we will see. I’m very happy, I like our players, especially the guys from our academy.”