No way is Jose using the FA, says Mourinho's advisor

Mourinho has emerged as the bookies' favourite to succeed Steve McClaren as England coach, with reports suggesting the FA could be prepared to pay as much as £6million a year in order to attract him.

So far, no contact has been made with Mourinho by FA chief executive Brian Barwick, who, along with director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking, has been charged with the task of finding the next England coach.

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It's all talk: Mourinho's advisor has denied the former Chelsea boss is using the FA

Mourinho was at pains to avoid committing himself one way or another when a British TV crew arrived at his Portuguese home in Setubal but different sources close to the 46-year-old have offered widely differing views over his willingness to replace McClaren.

Some say he is keen on the job, others that he wants to stay in club management, with AC Milan emerging as a likely destination given their current poor form.

However, according to Mourinho's trusted advisor Eladio Parames, there is no way he would use one job to get another.

"That is all lies," he said.

"Mourinho would never do that."

Mourinho is currently on holiday with his family and Parames confirmed anyone interested would have to speak with his agent Jorge Mendes, who also represents Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Jose has not been contacted by any club or even the FA, so there have been no developments in his situation," said Parames.

"If any club is interested in talking to him they must contact Jorge Mendes.

"Nothing has happened. It is all just speculation."

The FA are determined not to be rushed, despite the demand from outside forces for a quick decision.

Instead, Barwick and Brooking are continuing their fact-finding discussions with senior footballing figures.

Although the process has been viewed in some quarters as simply a question of a handpicked group offering an opinion as to who should get the job, the real reason for the talks is to determine what other elements are required to provide whoever is the new coach the best chance possible of being a success.

Brooking spent Saturday afternoon in Staines with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was watching his son Darren's side Peterborough advance into the FA Cup third round.

Ferguson is one of the men who have been identified as being able to provide priceless advice on the job, while another, former England boss Sir Bobby Robson, yesterday used his newspaper column to trumpet the claims of Mourinho.

Fabio Capello is another live candidate, having already declared his interest, while others such as Jurgen Klinsmann, Guus Hiddink, Marcello Lippi and Luiz Felipe Scolari continue to be discussed - as does Martin O'Neill, even though the Aston Villa boss has twice attempted to rule himself out of the running.

One thing is for certain - while some continue to question the attractiveness of the England job, the England team remains a big draw across the globe despite their failure to reach Euro 2008.

While England are without a competitive game this summer, it is still possible a May meeting with old enemy Scotland could be arranged in front of what would definitely be a capacity crowd at Wembley.

However, Barwick is also considering over half a dozen friendly offers received while he was in Durban for the World Cup draw, proving how attractive England still are.

Australia are keen to get England to visit Melbourne, while North America, the Middle East and the Far East are other potential destinations.

Ideally, the FA would prefer to wait for a new manager to be appointed before finalising their plans but the practicalities of the situation may mean that is not possible.

A World Cup fixtures meeting in Zagreb on December 19, when England's precise campaign in a qualifying group containing Croatia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra will be agreed, may have an impact depending on who the Three Lions end up facing in September.