Newspaper reports suggest Van Gaal will be moving on from United when his 3 year contract comes to an end at the end of next season. He has said on many occasions he made a promise to his wife that this would be his last stint in management, and it looks like he will be following through on that.
More interestingly, the same reports suggest Pep Guardiola could be lined up to replace the Dutch maestro. Guardiola has refused to sign a new contract at Bayern,and could be free to manage a new club next season. He has also been linked with taking over at Manchester City after Pellegrini failed to retain the league title, and to make a real attempt at challenging for the Champions League.
Both Manchester City and United could be looking for a new manager at the same time, and if both clubs wait till the end of their respective manager’s contracts, the question will remain, will Guardiola take some time out of football again or will his availability prompt earlier changes. Klopp can also be thrown into the mix after having left Dortmund at the end of last season and taken some time out of football.
Van Gaal has maintained in public the man he sees likely to take over from him is Ryan Giggs. Old Trafford faithfuls would be keen to see a player that has spent his entire career at United restoring that old Fergie flair and swagger back into United’s style of play. They will also feel Giggs appointment will likely lead to the re-emergence of the class of 92, something they had for a brief period when Giggs was appointed interim manager after the departure of David Moyes.
Whoever comes in, history shows that the manager to take over from Van Gaal bears the fruits of his initial work such as Barcelona with Iniesta, Xavi and Valdes forming part of a team that dominated Europe and at Bayern with Muller, Schweinsteiger and Alaba becoming key players.
Van Gaal has already said Martial has been brought for the next manager although his early impact may still mean he performs for Van Gaal himself, and with the emergence of Luke Shaw this season before that horrendous injury, United will be hoping the future looks bright.
Van Gaal will want to create a legacy at a club that has a history of doing so with Busbys’ babes and Fergie reinventing himself and his teams over the years.
