Manchester United have approached Sporting over appointing head coach Ruben Amorim as their new boss.
Talks are thought to be ongoing over making the 39-year-old Erik ten Hag's successor after the Dutchman was sacked on Monday morning.
United would need to pay the Portuguese's Sporting release clause - and it is understood they are prepared to do that.
Sporting have a 100 per cent record at the top of the Portuguese league this season having won all nine games scoring 30 goals and conceding just twice.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Amorim's side are unbeaten having won two of their three games to sit eighth.
When asked about his future in the wake of Ten Hag's sacking, Amorim said at a pre-match press conference on Monday: "I was expecting that question and obviously I am not going to talk about my future.
"I am not going to speak about my future because no matter what I say I'd have to always talk about it.
"Since the first day, I said it was not worthy to ask about it and I am not going to make any comments about my future."
He added: "I am very proud of being Sporting head coach."
In recent weeks he has been suggested as a future Manchester City manager with Sporting's Hugo Viana, a close friend, due to move to the blue half of Manchester as the club's new director of football next season.
Amorim had been in the running to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in the summer before Arne Slot was handed the job.
He also held talks over becoming David Moyes' replacement at West Ham, before later apologising for the timing and publicity of the talks in London.
At the age of 36, Amorim led Sporting to a first league title in 19 years in 2021 and then won his second with the club last season.
He has also won the Taca da Liga - the Portuguese League Cup - on three occasions, twice with Sporting and once with Braga.
A former Benfica and Portugal midfielder, Amorim retired as a player in 2017 and just two years later he took up his first managerial job at Braga.
He then joined Sporting in March 2020 where he has established himself as one of Europe's most sought-after young coaches.
Skysports