Jose Mourinho has sent a six-page letter to Manchester United explaining why he is the right man to replace Louis van Gaal as manager, according to a report in The Independent On Sunday.

The newspaper claims that the former Chelsea boss has launched "a detailed charm offensive" with the letter, in which he allegedly explains his plans to improve the team and iterates "his strong desire to manage the club".

"In his submission Mourinho also presented a forensic analysis of this season's team," the paper says. "The Portuguese has gone through every area of the current squad, offering extensive thoughts on what could be improved as well as making suggestions about signings that could help strengthen the squad."

Mourinho has been linked with the job at Old Trafford since being sacked by Chelsea just before Christmas, while Van Gaal remains the favourite with the bookmakers to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.