However if the team do not qualify for the Champions League Van Gaal would nearly certainly be removed, and though there are reservations among the Old Trafford hierarchy regarding the candidacy of Mourinho, he remains in pole position to take over.
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Missing out on the top four would have significant financial complications for United, who have backed Van Gaal to the hilt during his two years in charge.
Former FC Porto striker Benni McCarthy has indicated Manchester United could become the club where Jose Mourinho will want to have a long-term project.
Manchester United are now fifth in the Premier League and find themselves 12 points behind leaders Leicester City, while they are also six points behind fourth placed Manchester City. “There has been such nonsense created about me”, said Van Gaal, ahead of United’s Premier League clash against Chelsea yesterday.
“I think he is the best young central defender in the world”. “At this moment I don’t know where football will take me, because in football you never know”. I expected us to make a bigger change under the new manager, but it just hasn’t gone as well as we would have liked.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United are targeting the Frenchman as they prepare to bring in defensive reinforcements, with Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte and Everton’s John Stones Stones also on their shortlist.
It would be recalled that Mourinho who was sacked by Chelsea in December 2015, last week revealed that he would be back in management, preferably in England.
Mourinho and Guardiola shared a fierce rivalry during their terms in the Spanish League as chief coaches of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
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“Maybe you remember the hard first years of Fergie”, said Van Gaal.
