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SPORTING LISBON have made an approach to sign Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The Lisbon club have been offered the out-of-favour Germany international on a free transfer by Manchester United and are currently attempting to convince the midfielder to move to Portuguese football.

If Schweinsteiger - who last week stated that United "will be my last in Europe" - can be persuaded to choose Sporting over a season in which he will be excluded from Jose Mourinho's senior squad, the Portuguese club are open to selling their own midfielder Adrien Silva to Leicester City.

Leicester are understood to have offered €25million for Adrien, a box-to-box midfielder who was an important part of Portugal's European Championship winning squad.

Though the 27-year-old has asked Sporting to allow him to join the English Premier League champions, Sporting coach Jorge Jesus has instructed the club only to sell if they recruit a high-level replacement.

Schweinsteiger was signed from Bayern Munich for €9m in the 2015 transfer window on the request of then-United manager Louis van Gaal.

Having started just 82 Bundesliga matches in the four preceding seasons, the midfielder managed only 13 starts in the Premier League before succumbing to injury again in April.

His behaviour around the club is understood to have cost him popularity amongst United's senior players.

The German has been looking to move outside Europe for personal and financial reasons, with Major League Soccer and the Chinese Super League his most likely destinations.

United's willingness to let Schweinsteiger join Sporting at zero cost reflects an urgency to move him out of the club before the summer window closes tomorrow.

Speaking on Tuesday ahead of his final international for Germany, Schweinsteiger said: “My wish would be to continue playing for Manchester United.

"I have no personal problems with Jose Mourinho. One thing is for sure: I’m not going to stop playing football. I still believe in my own ability. I could still help Man United if given the chance."