José Mourinho keen to bring Ajax’s Justin Kluivert to Manchester United

José Mourinho is targeting Ajax’s Justin Kluivert this summer, with the 19-year-old favouring a move to Manchester United.

Kluivert, son of the former Barcelona and Netherlands centre-forward Patrick, has been in contract discussions with Ajax. However it is understood that these have broken down because of his demand that he should become the highest-paid player at the club.

Kluivert asked for a sizeable rise to €1.5m (£1.3m) a year and a proportion of any future transfer fee, to be split between him and his agent, Mino Raiola. Ajax’s policy is to pay no player more than €1m, so Kluivert demanded a significant signing-on fee to compensate.

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Kluivert scored 10 goals in 30 league games this season – including a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Roda in November – and believes he deserves fresh terms to reflect his growing status. He is on the wage of his initial professional contract, signed in 2016, which ends next summer. Kluivert made his international debut in March, as a replacement in the Netherlands’ 3-0 win over Portugal.

Kluivert’s likes to play as a wide forward and can operate on either wing, though his preference is the left. Mourinho was a coach at Barcelona in the late 1990s, when Patrick Kluivert played for the club.

Mourinho’s interest in Kluivert casts further doubt over the future of Anthony Martial. The 22-year-old also plays on the left but has been unable to hold down a starting place. Mourinho criticised him after last Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Brighton, and Martial was dropped to bench for Thursday’s goalless draw at West Ham United.

Mourinho has said that Romelu Lukaku may be fit enough only for a place on the bench for Saturdayweek’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.

The striker has missed United’s past two matches with an ankle injury and will be absent when they host Watford in their final Premier League match on Sunday.

“We hope he can play the final,” Mourinho said. “He is in Belgium having his treatment with communication between the Belgian doctors and our medical department. We are just waiting to see if it is possible for him to be involved in the final. If not starting, at least on the bench.”

Mourinho said that Marcus Rashford and Martial would return against Watford. There will also be starts for Sergio Romero, Eric Bailly, Daley Blind and Juan Mata, and Michael Carrick will be captain in his final appearance before joining United’s coaching staff. “He is not going to finish the match because I want him to leave the pitch alone and I want him to feel what the Manchester United supporters feel about him,” the manager added of Carrick.