The club are expected to announce Van Gaal, 62, as David Moyes' successor on Wednesday, after United resolved a minor issue regarding Van Gaal's backroom staff.
United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will defy Sir Alex Ferguson's advice to appoint Ryan Giggs, whose future at the club, along with his fellow Class of '92 coaching colleagues Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, and goalkeeping trainer Chris Woods, is now enshrouded in doubt.
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Van Gaal will step down as Holland coach after the World Cup finals
Van Gaal's Holland national team assistant, Patrick Kluivert, physio Jos Van Dijk, goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek and analyst Max Reckers are all set to follow him to Manchester. Kluivert memorably rejected United in 1998 to join Van Gaal at Barcelona, commenting, "For me, at that moment, there was only one club in England and that was Arsenal."
Giggs was never considered to become United manager, despite Ferguson's public advice. "I think that he [Giggs] is the one man they should go to, really," Ferguson said at a fundraising dinner in Manchester last Friday. Despite the Scot's ambassadorial role at the club, his influence is waning, having anointed Moyes last year.
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Giggs will have to wait for his chance to manage United on a full-time basis
Giggs will manage United for the second time on Saturday when Sunderland visit Old Trafford, having overseen the 4-0 thrashing of Norwich City last week. He will take charge for the final time on the the final day of the campaign at Southampton.
The Welshman will again be flanked by former teammates Scholes, Butt and Neville, who Ferguson hoped would ease the club's transition following his retirement.
"They understand the club, they are hard workers, they are straight as a die," Ferguson added a week ago. "So you have got the right combinations there, there's no doubt about that." Van Gaal, who has never managed in English football, is keen to retain Giggs, however it seems unmanageable Neville, Scholes and Butt will also remain in a crowded dugout.
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Van Gaal first encountered Ferguson's United during two unforgettable 3-3 draws in 1998 with Barcelona
Van Gaal delayed announcing his 23-man Holland squad for the World Cup finals, fuelling speculation he was concluding negotiations with United. The Dutch will rendezvous at their World Cup training camp in Hoenderloo next week.
Enjoying his second stint as Holland coach, Van Gaal won three Eredivisie titles, the Uefa Cup and the Champions League with Ajax in the 90s, before succeeding Bobby Robson at Barcelona in 1997, where he collected two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey.
A scarcely believable Eredivisie championship win with AZ Alkmaar in 2009 preceded a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich, whom he led to the Champions League final in 2010.
Van Gaal faced Ferguson four times as a coach. Twice with Barcelona in 1998, as they and United played out two unforgettable 3-3 draws, and with Bayern Munich 12 years later, when they eliminated United from the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals.
Moyes' 11 defining moments
Liverpool 1-0 United, 1 September(01 of11)
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United losing at Anfield has become commonplace in the last six years, but it was the manner in which Moyes analysed his side's toothless performance that was worrying."I could see why we were champions today," Moyes remarked. It set the trend for some surreal post-mortems. (credit:Getty Images)
City 4-1 United, 22 September(02 of11)
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The gulf in class between the two Manchester clubs, just four months after United finished 11 points ahead of City, was astonishing. City had spent their summer signing players, whereas United spent it signing commercial partners. This defeat confirmed United would not even challenge for the title, let alone retain it. (credit:Getty Images)
United 1-2 West Brom, 28 September(03 of11)
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West Brom registered their first Old Trafford win since 1978 as Moyes broke the first of numerous embarrassing records while in charge at Old Trafford. (credit:Getty Images)
United 1-1 Southampton, 19 October(04 of11)
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Adam Lallana's late equaliser was utterly avoidable on a day Moyes' negativity infected Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney was substituted for Chris Smalling in the 87th minute as United chose to protect their lead against a club that fought against relegation last season. (credit:Getty Images)
Cardiff 2-2 United(05 of11)
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Having beaten league leaders Arsenal to move within five points of the summit, United then drew against Cardiff's workhorses to dash any lingering chance of a title challenge. Again, Moyes chose to protect, rather than extend, a lead and Kim Bo-Kyung nodded in a 90th-minute equaliser. (credit:Getty Images)
United 0-1 Newcastle, 7 December(06 of11)
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United suffered successive defeats at Old Trafford for the first time since 2001 as Newcastle won at the ground for the first time in 41 years. This would have been the death knell for Moyes at most other clubs. (credit:Getty Images)
United 1-2 Sunderland (penalties), January 22(07 of11)
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What was worse? The fact United lost a Capital One Cup semi-final to a team second from bottom in the league or that they attempted to reach Wembley via an away goal (after extra-time) which was scored when they were 1-0 down in the first leg? (credit:Getty Images)
United 2-2, 9 February(08 of11)
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United's chances of Champions League qualification effectively ended when Darren Bent snatched a last-gasp draw for Fulham on a day United delivered 81 crosses into the Fulham area. Another record broken... (credit:Getty Images)
Olympiakos 2-0 United, 25 February(09 of11)
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United's worst away performance in Europe for eight years and maybe the nadir of the Moyes era, that they recovered in the second leg cannot mask a night which reflected horrendously on both the players and the coach. The comeback three weeks later was merely a stay of execution ahead of the inevitable last eight elimination at the hands of one of Europe's elite. (credit:Getty Images)
United 0-3 Liverpool, 16 March(10 of11)
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The performance which enraged supporters the most, arguably, came during United's pathetic defeat to Liverpool. Moyes could not even motivate the team to halt Liverpool's title challenge and that alone is unforgivable. (credit:Getty Images)
Everton 2-0 United, 20 April(11 of11)
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Everton hammered home the final nail into Moyes' coffin with an alarmingly comfortable win over a United side that managed just two shots on target. "I couldn't fault how we played," Moyes deludedly said. Everyone else could. (credit:Getty Images)