Paris Saint-Germain are said to be in talks with representatives of José Mourinho, with a view to the former Chelsea manager replacing Laurent Blanc in the French capital.
News of the talks will alert Manchester United, with whom Mourinho has been linked in recent months.
The future of current United boss, Louis Van Gaal, remains the source of speculation, with some reports claiming his position is dependent upon securing a Champions League place or winning the FA Cup.
With five games remaining, United are fifth in the Premier League on 56 points, five behind Manchester City, who are third and four behind Arsenal in fourth place. On Saturday United play Everton at Wembley in an FA Cup semi-final.
Blanc’s position at PSG has come under scrutiny following last week’s Champions League elimination to Manchester City – the third successive season in which the French champions have failed to get beyond the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Although the Parisian club have already wrapped up the league title and remain on course to win a domestic treble, the club’s hierarchy, conscious of the huge outlay made in recent years, are known to want to establish PSG as one of Europe’s superpowers.
Mourinho has twice won the Champions League: at Porto in 2004 and Internazionale in 2010. The Portuguese was the bookmakers’favourite to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford in 2013 when the longstanding United manager stepped down after 27 years in charge, but the job was ultimately offered to David Moyes – reportedly on the recommendation of Ferguson.
However, since Moyes’ departure and the less-than-stellar performance of his successor, Mourinho continues to be linked with the United job.
Despite claims in the media that Mourinho has written to United outlining his plans for the club, executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, has refused to discuss either Van Gaal’s position or the identity of a potential successor.
