Fulham reportedly lead the race to sign Fluminense midfielder Andre.

The Standard claim Fulham have moved ahead of both United and Liverpool in the race to sign the 22-year-old after chief executive Alistair Mackintosh flew to Brazil for face-to-face talks last week.

They say talks over a potential £30 million move continue as Andre seeks a Premier League move after the Brazilian season ends in early December.

It is claimed Liverpool are out of the race and looking at defensive targets, while United have only enquired so far.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership of Nice could see United banned from playing in Europe next season.

The Sun says that under Uefa’s “multi-club ownership” rules, the only way United and Nice can both play in Europe in the next campaign is if one seals an automatic Champions League spot and the other qualifies directly for the Conference League.

If both finish in the Champions League spots in their respective divisions, the team that finishes higher of the two gets the place, with the other banned from Europe.

A Uefa source is quoted as saying: “As the rules stand, it’s a clear situation. Ineos own Nice and are set to have a significant role in running United.

“Unless the regulations are changed, or Ineos sell one of their stakes, they cannot both play in European competitions, unless one is in the Champions league and the other in the Conference League.”

United are gearing up for another squad clearout to break double figures across the two transfer windows next year.

Fourteen players who had played for the first team left permanently last summer as United became more proactive in the seller’s market to comply with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.

Erik ten Hag wants a new centre half and that could hasten the departure of another defender. Bar Evans, Lindelof is on the shortest contract but he has started in 11 of United’s 18 games this season and there is a one-year extension option. Harry Maguire’s upturn in form has relegated Raphael Varane to backup centre back.

Shaw injury boost

Luke Shaw has returned to first-team training after a period on the sidelines with injury.

Shaw has been absent with a ‘muscle injury’ since the 2-0 defeat against Tottenham on August 19, but he trained with the main group at Carrington this week and he’s set to be available for selection again.

United return to Premier League action with a visit to Everton on Sunday and Shaw could make his first start for three months.

Shaw started in both of the opening two games of the season against Wolves and Tottenham and with Tyrell Malacia also injured, Sergio Reguilon was signed on loan from Tottenham to provide cover at left-back.

Reguilon has been unavailable with injury himself since signing and Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and Sofyan Amrabat have also been used at left-back.

United are ‘ready to follow’ Chelsea’s recent model of hiring multiple sporting directors, according to talkSPORT.

Ratcliffe is expected to oversee major change once his minority stake in United is ratified. Murtough is expected to follow CEO Arnold out of the exit door, following several years of poor investment on the pitch.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly hired two sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, to oversee £1billion of spending in the last three windows. And Ratcliffe could do the same, with Paul Mitchell reportedly likely to be joined by another transfer chief.

Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman and Palo Maldini, formerly of AC Milan, have been linked.