Manhattan prosecutors have signalled to former president Donald Trump that he could face criminal charges relating to his alleged role in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, the New York Times reports, citing four unnamed sources.

The former president was told he could appear before a Manhattan grand jury next week if he wished to testify, the newspaper said.

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney declined to comment.

Lawyers who have represented Mr Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Daniels has said she had a sexual liaison with the former president and received $US130,000 ($196,489) before the 2016 presidential election in exchange for not discussing her encounter with Mr Trump, who denies it happened and in 2018 told reporters he knew nothing about a payment to Ms Daniels.

Mr Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, was sentenced to three years in prison in federal court in New York for orchestrating hush payments to Daniels and another woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said she had a months-long affair with Mr Trump before he took office.

Mr Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president again in 2024, is facing multiple legal challenges and investigations, including over his handling of classified documents and his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

– AAP