Jose Mourinho wants Lucas Moura at Manchester United on loan but PSG demand €40m permanent deal

Paris Saint-Germain are demanding at least €40m (£35m, $47m) for Lucas Moura during the January transfer window but for now Manchester United are only interested in a loan deal for the player, according to latest reports in France.

Moura, 25, is one of the clutch of players at PSG to see their first-team opportunities dry up this season following the arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and has been told he is free to leave the Ligue 1 giants this month.

The former Sao Paulo sensation has failed start a single league match this season, circumstances that could damage his hopes of making Brazil's squad for the 2018 World Cup. Moura has already been presented with an opportunity to address that, with FC Nantes ready to sign him during the mid-season window. But having learned of interest from United, Moura now only has eyes for a move to Old Trafford, according to Téléfoot, and has already turned down an offer from Claudio Ranieri's side.

A latest report from Le Parisien claims Moura has no desire to take a step backwards in France and would even regard moves to champions AS Monaco or Lyon as doing exactly that.

The French publication add the Brazil international's entourage favour a move to the Premier League and see Liverpool as a possible destination. But while Jurgen Klopp's side are flush with cash and are possibly considering attacking reinforcements this month following Philippe Coutinho's move to Barcelona, there have been no talks between PSG and the Merseyside club.

United are an interested party, Le Parisien add, with Jose Mourinho considering adding the Brazilian to his squad for the second-half of the season. But the Portuguese is at this stage only interested in taking the player on loan, with PSG insisting they will only listen to permanent offers for the player they signed in 2013.

The Ligue 1 leaders are demanding between €40m and €45m for Moura, a hefty fee for a player who is firmly on the periphery of Unai Emery's squad and who only has 18 months remaining on his contract at Parc de Princes.

After spending £202m on Neymar and with an obligation to pay £166m for Mbappe next summer, PSG face the possibility of Uefa sanctions unless they can cash in on the fringe members of their squad this summer. Reports at the end of 2017 claimed the club must raise €75m to meet Financial Fair Play targets, with Angel di Maria, Hatem Ben Arfa and Javier Pastore all said to be up for sale this month.