Jose Mourinho is expected to be approached over extending his Manchester United contract in November, the mid-point of his existing deal, which ends in 2019.

Any new agreement will depend on the team’s performance this season and although the end of May will be the telling point, negotiations about the future are expected to start before Christmas to enable a smooth conclusion to any potential deal next summer.

Neither of Mourinho’s two predecessors in the job, Louis van Gaal and David Moyes, have lasted beyond two years at Old Trafford.

Were Mourinho to enjoy a successful season, the club would not want him to enter the final year of his contract without the future being clarified.

The United manager, whose league leaders face Stoke City on Saturday, said in an interview this week that he was not seeking a decision soon on any potential new deal. “I don’t think about it,” he said.