Jose Mourinho latest: PSG 'make official approach' to Manchester United target to replace Laurent Blanc

Mourinho is expected to be the next manager at Manchester United, but could yet end up in France after Paris Saint-Germain approached his agent

Jose Mourinho has received an official approach from PSG (Getty)

Jose Mourinho has received an official approach from French league champions Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports.

The former Chelsea manager has been out of work since he was dismissed in December after the reigning Premier League champions made a dreadful start to their title defence.

With Louis van Gaal under increasing pressure at Manchester United, it is widely expected that the Portuguese will replace the Dutchman in the summer at Old Trafford, despite Mourinho receiving job offers from across Europe.

One job that wasn’t expected to come up though was the one in Paris, with Laurent Blanc leading PSG to a fourth straight Ligue 1 title that was secured in March, with PSG now 28 points ahead of their nearest competitor in Monaco.

However, failure in the Champions League has come at a cost for Blanc, and Sky Sports News is reporting that PSG had approached Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes, to offer him the manager’s job from the start of next season.

According to the reports, PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi contacted Mendes immediately after their Champions League elimination at the hands of Manchester City last week, despite initial reports suggesting that the club owners would hold a meeting to discuss Blanc’s future as manager.

Winning the league title in a division where it is almost a given that a team with PSG’s riches will succeed is no longer enough to satisfy the Parisians ambitious owners, and the lack of progression in Europe is said to be behind their approach to Mourinho.

The 53-year-old is set to hold out in order to try and land the United job should Van Gaal be sacked this summer, but in PSG he could have a useful fall-back option to get back into management. Mourinho has already turned down PSG twice in the past, but despite Blanc having two years left to run on his contract, it appears his recent failure in Europe could end his reign at the Parc des Princes.

The Independent understands that United have not made an official offer to Mourinho to replace Van Gaal and will see how the rest of the season plays out before deciding whether or not to replace him, with the Dutchman having one year left to run on his contract. United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, has shown a determination to stick with Van Gaal during runs of poor form this season in an apparent show of unity with the manager, but failure to finish in the top four this season will likely end Van Gaal’s reign due to the financial implications of a second season in three years outside of the Champions League would cause.