Manchester United have reportedly decided to appoint Ryan Giggs as the successor to Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, ahead of Jose Mourinho.
The Dutchman's contract with the Red Devils will run down after the end of the next season. However, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager's future at United remains uncertain, especially after their poor display in the Premier League and European competitions.
Earlier reports suggested that Mourinho, who was sacked from his job at Chelsea was the firm candidate to replace Van Gaal. However, Spanish publication Marca claims the Old Trafford hierarchy have decided to hand Giggs the new managerial job, if they sack their current manager after the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
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United's board are looking for a candidate who can replace Van Gaal with a figure who is not bigger than that of the club. They believe the sacked Chelsea manager is not the right candidate for the managerial role, which has now seen them move towards appointing the United legend as the successor to the current man at the job.
Also read: Jose Mourinho to leave Premier League if not appointed as the next Manchester United manager
This could be a massive blow for Mourinho and a section of United fans, who were looking forward to seeing the 53-year-old at the helm at Old Trafford. He even admitted that his preferred job will be with a club in England as his family remains well settled in the country.
"I don't have a contract with another club. I'd prefer to stay in England. I love the country," Mourinho said, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.
"I am not in position to turn down [jobs]. I am in a position to analyse. This is April, everything starts in July, every decision is made between May and the start of June.
"I am not in a position to deny, I am open to any club, national team, but I have to be honest, if possible, a club."
“He [Van Gaal] is my friend, I worked with him for a few years. I am always linked with jobs and in the summer I will have a job, but in this moment I can promise you I do not have a contract with any club.”
The same report from Marca suggests that the situation at Old Trafford leaves the former Chelsea boss with two options, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The latter were eliminated from the last eight of the Champions League yet again and that could end Laurent Blanc's time at the Parc des Princes as the Ligue 1 winners are chasing European glory.
