Jose Mourinho has dismissed suggestions he is plotting a move to sign Neymar, the Barcelona and Brazil forward, this summer as “absurd”.

Manchester United were linked this week with a £173 million move for Neymar but Mourinho has claimed it would be “impossible” to sign the player and said he would never burden his club with such an unrealistic task. Antoine Griezmann, of Atletico Madrid, remains United’s priority forward target.

“It's speculation, I always try to be objective and pragmatic with clubs and to ask them what they can give me,” Mourinho told ESPN Brazil. “To ask for Neymar is absurd.

“A club like Barcelona cannot and will not lose Neymar. Although [Lionel] Messi is still a young player with years ahead of him, he's almost 30, and Neymar will be the great player of Barcelona post-Messi. So much that I think it [trying to sign Neymar] is like trying to break into a safe, impossible.”