Manchester United looking to life after Louis van Gaal, according to Sky sources

Manchester United are looking to life after Louis van Gaal, according to Sky sources

Manchester United are planning for life after Louis van Gaal's tenure, which will run until at least 2017, Sky sources understand.

The Old Trafford club are not ruling out Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville or Pep Guardiola taking over in 18 months time when Van Gaal's current three-year deal runs out.

The club expect Van Gaal to at least see out the contract, and will not be pressured into acting quickly regarding Guardiola's contract with Bayern Munich, which runs out this summer.

Van Gaal's contract runs out in the summer of 2017, and we understand current assistant Ryan Giggs (left) ticks many of the boxes at Old Trafford

Both Giggs, who the club believe has developed impressively under Van Gaal, and Neville are also thought to tick many of the boxes required to take the hot seat of the 13-time Premier League champions.

Neville, announced as the new manager of La Liga side Valencia on Wednesday, was wished well by his former club, who are thought to be monitoring both his and current United assistant manager Giggs' situation closely over the next year-and-a-half.

United maintain they are in the market for the world's best managers, but will not be acting anytime soon to set up a replacement for Van Gaal.

It is also thought that Gary Neville, unveiled by Valencia in midweek, is being monitored closely

Sky Sports also understand United will be heavily active in the summer transfer window once again, having spent £108m last summer, but will not be drawn into spending big in the upcoming January transfer window, and that any signing will be made with a long-term plan in mind.

Free agent Ashley Cole is not thought to be a target for United, but left-back is one area the club will look at following the serious injury to Luke Shaw.

The club's style of play under Van Gaal has been brought into question by some quarters of Old Trafford this season, having scored the least Premier League goals of the top five.

We also understand the club will not be forced to move quickly for Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola

However, their defensive record remains the best in the top flight, and we understand the players are happy with the current situation, with United sitting a point off the top of the Premier League.

United host West Ham on Saturday at Old Trafford, before a trip to Wolfsburg on Tuesday in their make-or-break Champions League group stage tie.

United spent £108m in the summer, and are set for another spending spree next summer

A win against the German side would see United finish top of Group B, but if PSV win at home to bottom side CSKA Moscow, a defeat or draw for United in Wolfsburg would see them drop out of the Champions League and into the Europa League.

If PSV draw against CSKA then a draw would send United through, but they could not afford to lose in that situation as PSV would then progress due to a superior head-to-head record.