Jose Mourinho in contact with Neymar over transfer

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly held a constant contact with Barcelona star Neymar in order to convince him to join the club this summer.

The Brazil international has formed an excellent bond alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at the Catalan giants, and this has earned him plaudits from the club's faithful.

A report from The Star claims that the Special One has been in regular communication with Neymar, who he sees as a potential replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic, 35, has impressed in his one-year stint with the Red Devils but there are still doubts over whether he would extend his contract by a further year.

Mourinho is prepared to trigger Neymar's £172m release clause to lure him to Old Trafford while offering him a package which would make the Premier League's highest earner.

United's Paul Pogba is currently the most paid player in the top flight at £290,000-a-week after arriving from Juventus for a world-record £89.3m sum last summer.