Just when you think the biggest transfer story of the summer is guaranteed to feature Antoine Griezmann and Manchester United, Jose Mourinho throws a little spanner in the works.

Atletico Madrid's French forward has been heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford over the last few months and every week there appears to be a new twist to keep everyone guessing.

Of course, someone with Mourinho's experience has learnt not to put all of his eggs in one basket and will hope to strengthen his Man United team in more ways than just the addition of Griezmann.

The latest name the Red Devils are being linked with, though, will rightly cause some excitement amongst the club's supporters.

According to Spanish publication Sport, Mourinho has been in regular contact with Barcelona star Neymar in recent weeks.

The Man United boss has reportedly been a long-term admirer of Neymar and even tried to sign him for Real Madrid before he moved to the Camp Nou.

Mourinho quite often calls up potential future signings as a tactic to convince them to join his club and it appears to be no different this time around either.

It is believed the pair would have discussed the benefits of a switch to Old Trafford, where Neymar would fit in Mourinho's plans and how they would work together.

The Portuguese manager is confident Neymar could flourish under his guidance in the Premier League because he wouldn't be in anyone's shadow.

With Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both at Barca, Neymar often has to share the limelight, which Mourinho thinks could hinder his growth.

With Wayne Rooney expected to leave Man United at the end of the season and Zlatan Ibrahimovic likely to move on just over a year's time, the search for potential successors has already started.

Since joining Barcelona in 2013, Neymar has scored 95 times from 171 appearances and would appear to tick every box for a traditional big money Man United signing.

However, it's probable that any potential deals for both Neymar and Griezmann will hinge on the side qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Currently placed sixth in the Premier League, United face a dogfight to finish in the top four come May but could still qualify by winning the Europa League.

More immediately, though, Mourinho has the opportunity to win his first piece of major silverware for the club in the EFL Cup final against Southampton at Wembley on Sunday.