AC Milan are ready to tackle Manchester United and steal a lead in the race to sign Gary Cahill.
Chelsea are willing to offload Cahill in January, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
United manager Jose Mourinho is keen to be reunited with his former centre-back.
But Corriere dello Sport claim Milan are also eyeing the England international as they struggle to cope with a defensive injury crisis that has hit five members of their squad.
Cahill began his career playing for the AFC Dronfield youth system in Derbyshire. In 2000, he joined the Aston Villa Academy and continued his development. In 2004, he joined Burnley on a season-long loan, where he performed well before returning to make his Aston Villa debut.
Later, he signed for hometown club Sheffield United on a three-month loan deal. On 30 January 2008, he signed for Bolton Wanderers for approximately £5 million. Cahill performed well for Bolton through the years, cementing a place in the first team. He made 130 league appearances and scored 13 league goals for Bolton.
In January 2012, Cahill signed for Chelsea for approximately £7 million. He won the UEFA Champions League in his debut season at Chelsea, and has gone on to win the UEFA Europa League, the Premier League twice, the FA Cup and the League Cup.