• Premier League

Van Gaal 'wants to replace Moyes'

Louis van Gaal is keen to replace the sacked David Moyes as Manchester United manager, according to the Sun.

United confirmed on Tuesday morning that Moyes has been sacked, after just 348 days in charge of the club that handed him a six-year contract last summer.

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David Moyes won 27 of his 51 matches at United © Getty Images

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United denied rumours that club officals had met with Van Gaal last week as speculation mounted over Moyes' future.

Van Gaal has confirmed he will step down as Netherlands coach after this summer's World Cup. He reportedly has three offers on the table, one of them being from Tottenham, one from United and the other from a club in mainland Europe.

However the Sun claim a source close to Van Gaal says that the United job is his clear first choice.

The Dutchman was among the front runners to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot first announced his plans to retire from Old Trafford in 2002, before performing a swift U-turn.

However, Van Gaal isn't the only name in the frame for the Old Trafford hotseat, with Borussia Dortmund manager Juergen Klopp also reportedly interesting United and Ryan Giggs, confirmed as manager until the end of the season, getting an audition for the top job.

Klopp - who has also been linked with Barcelona - extended his contract at Dortmund until 2018 in October and told BVB total! that he has no intention of leaving the Westfalenstadion at this stage.

"No one needs to worry," he said in quotes reported on the club's official website. "We are all still a bit in love with this club and with the way things are handled here."

Diego Simeone, who has led Atletico Madrid to the semi-finals of the Champions League where they face Chelsea in tonight's first leg, is also believed to be on United's radar, as is Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The reigning Premier League champions have slumped to seventh in the table this season, and will finish the campaign with their lowest ever Premier League points total.

The defeat to Everton was their 11th in the league this campaign, and United will miss out on Champions League football next season for the first time since 1995-96.

Alex Ferguson's Manchester United and Louis van Gaal's Barcelona met in the Champions League group stages in the 1998-99 season © Shaun Botterill /Allsport

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