Louis van Gaal is Manchester United's preferred candidate to succeed David Moyes as manager in the summer, with the club having already made contact with the Holland coach.
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Van Gaal is expected to become United's manager for the 2014-15 season following Moyes' disastrous nine-month tenure, which ended on Tuesday, and an announcement could be made before the World Cup begins on 12 June.
Huffington Post UK Sport has been told Van Gaal is United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward's first choice to oversee the club's recovery after their worst season in 25 years. Interim coach Ryan Giggs was never under consideration to be promoted to manager, although Van Gaal is believed to be keen to work closely with someone with a unique knowledge of United. Van Gaal has never managed in England and last coached a club side in 2011, when Bayern Munich sacked him.
Van Gaal is United's preferred candidate to succeed Moyes next season
Borussia Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp was quickly championed by United supporters to replace Moyes, however the United board never considered him to be a serious candidate after Klopp extended his contract with the Yellow and Blacks until 2018 earlier this season. The German quickly clarified on Tuesday he would stay at Borussia.
Two weeks ago, United denied De Telegraaf's report club officials had met with Van Gaal, but their interest is genuine.
Van Gaal, 62, was expected to become Tottenham Hotspur manager but recently told Spurs chairman Daniel Levy he is no longer interested in replacing the outgoing Tim Sherwood.
The former Bayern boss' likely arrival at Old Trafford will almost certainly secure Robin van Persie's United future, thanks to the pair's rapport at national team level. The 30-year-old striker experienced a fraught relationship with Moyes and barely hid his disenchantment with United's training under the Scot. Van Persie also criticised Moyes' tactics in the aftermath of the infamous Champions League defeat at Olympiakos.
Van Gaal will be 63 when the new Barclays Premier League season begins but his emphasis on technical, attacking football will appease United supporters reeling from the ponderous and pragmatic Moyes era. However, the club's Glazer family owners will inevitably be accused of cost-cutting again should they hire a free agent to replace Moyes, whose contract with Everton expired the day before he officially began work at United.
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Although Van Gaal will be available to begin work on 24 June at the earliest - the day after Holland play their final World Cup group match - he is said to have provided Woodward with a list of possible transfer targets. United - and, in particular, Woodward - are under intense pressure to strengthen their squad quickly after last summer's amateurish summer transfer window.
Van Gaal oversaw the emergence of Ajax's crop of homegrown youngsters in the early-to-mid-90s, when the club won the 1995 Champions League. He guided Barcelona to two Primera Liga titles during his first stint in Catalonia later that decade but has struggled to repeat his successes in the 21st century.
He led AZ Alkmaar to their first Eredivisie title in 28 years in 09 and won the Bundesliga the following year with Bayern. The 62-year-old returned to the national team fold when he took over from Bert van Marwijk in 2012 following Holland's woeful European Championship campaign. The Oranje previously failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup under Van Gaal.