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Louis van Gaal wants FIVE years as Manchester United boss – after falling in love with Old Trafford, writes Steve Bates in the Sunday People.

The 63-year-old has only been at the club for seven months but in a four-hour summit with members of the Glazer family recently, he outlined his plan for the club until 2020.

And the Red Devils' owners were so impressed they are open to extending Van Gaal’s initial three-year deal by two more years.

That would take the Dutchman into Sir Alex Ferguson territory - the legendary Scot finally stepped down as United boss when he was 71.

I understand Van Gaal met with United’s American owners Bryan, Avram and Joel Glazer during one of their infrequent mid-season trips to Old Trafford to see the 3-1 win over Burnley.

Van Gaal didn’t leave the stadium to head home to his Cheshire apartment until 3am after becoming engrossed in talks about his own future - and United’s.

And he made it clear he wants this to be his last club job and intends to stay beyond his current three year, £10million-a-season agreement.

Much will depend on whether Van Gaal, whose 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday lifted United into third place, can deliver a Champions League place for next season.

Man United 2-0 Sunderland in pictures:

But he has told close friends he feels energised by this late-career boost and is as happy in Manchester as he’s ever been on his footballing travels - he even wishes he had come to the Premier League earlier.

Now he’s in English football, though, he wants to stay and re-build Man United.

Despite watching humble Burnley outperform Van Gaal’s big-money stars in periods of the game, the club’s Florida-based owners are understood not to have dwelt on United’s patchy recent form.

And they took on board Van Gaal’s assessment that the squad needs a major overhaul that may take up to two years to complete.

That would only give him another year after that to start re-establishing United as a trophy-winning force - and he wants longer at the helm.

Louis van Gaal's career in pictures:

United’s summer transfer strategy was also on the agenda.

Van Gaal and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward discussed targets such as Roma’s Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman, Wolfsburg’s Kevin de Bruyne and Borussia Dortmund duo Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan.

And the Dutchman mapped his plans for next season, insisting he would have United in better shape to fight for the title with powerhouses Chelsea and Manchester City.