Jose Mourinho Reportedly Approached by PSG Amid Manchester United Rumours

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly spoken to Manchester United managerial target Jose Mourinho about replacing Laurent Blanc in the French capital. 

According to Sky Sports' Andy Burton, the news comes from unnamed sources that "PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is understood to have instigated the approach to Mourinho—via his agent Jorge Mendes" in the wake of Les Parisiens' UEFA Champions League defeat to Manchester City.

As Burton noted, Mourinho was widely expected to replace Louis van Gaal at United, and they are his "preference," but he considers PSG "a credible choice" and is weighing up his options.

Further, he is a longtime friend of Al-Khelaifi's, and the Qatari has twice tried to hire the Special One, whom he believes can deliver the UEFA Champions League—one of the club's top ambitions and an area in which they have underachieved in recent years.

Indeed, BT Sport's Lynsey Hipgrave was unsurprised by the news given their failure to reach the semi-finals yet again:

Sunday World's Kevin Palmer believes Mourinho would be dissuaded from taking over at the Parc des Princes due to the uncompetitive nature of Ligue 1:

So too, does Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

They have a point—PSG have cruised to the title this season and hold a 28-point lead over second-placed Monaco having wrapped up the league back in March.

Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

In the race for the European Golden Shoe Ligue 1 is attributed a lower difficulty constant than the top flights in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and Portugal by UEFA, which is also telling.

However, there's a lot to be said for virtually guaranteed silverware and inheriting a team that—on paper if not in practice—should already be capable of challenging for the Champions League and being given almost unlimited resources with which to improve it.

Also, barring a return to one of his former haunts—Chelsea not included—Mourinho is running out of possible managerial destinations in Europe.

PSG are the only club he might consider in France and the only one who could afford him, while the two he could conceivably go into in Germany are Bayern Munich and perhaps Borussia Dortmund—both of whom already have a manager incoming or already established.

His time at Real Madrid perhaps excludes him from managing Atletico Madrid or Barcelona—the only other clubs that are perceived to be big enough for him to go to in Spain—and in Italy Juventus are flying under Massimiliano Allegri.

That perhaps leaves him with PSG and United. Football writer Liam Canning believes Mourinho will hope the news can spur the latter into making a move for him:

Bleacher Report UK noted the action executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward might have to take to land Mourinho ahead of PSG:

It does seem likely he would choose the Red Devils if both clubs made offers, though, due to their similar resources, superior stature and league—not to mention a return to England's top flight would allow him to pit his wits against old rival Pep Guardiola and the likes of Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp.

It's clear United have made little, if any progress under Van Gaal, and the prospect of him leading the club into next season against the aforementioned managers should be of huge concern to the powers that be at Old Trafford.

Mourinho is perhaps the only man available who could return United to their winning ways, and if the club fails to act soon they may find themselves left behind next season and for some time to come.