Louis Van Gaal says Manchester United came close to signing two huge Bayern Munich stars during his spell at the club.

United wanted to do deals for defender Mats Hummels and attacker Thomas Muller, says Van Gaal, who managed United between 2014 and 2016.

However both moves fell through, with Hummels - at Borussia Dortmund at the time United were interested - returning to Bayern, and the Bundesliga champions rejecting any bids for Muller.

Louis Van Gaal says Manchester United came close to signing two huge Bayern Munich stars

United wanted a deal for defender Mats Hummels, but he moved to Bayern from Dortmund

United were also keen on attacker Thomas Muller, however Bayern rejected all their bids

Van Gaal told Bild: 'I wanted to sign Hummels for Manchester United, but because at that time he was coming out of a poorer season, we didn't do it in the end.

'I can confirm that I wanted Muller, but there was nothing we could do. FC Bayern made it clear that they would not sell him.'

Van Gaal, who has been highly critical of United ever since he was sacked the day after winning the FA Cup in favour of Jose Mourinho, also hit out at his successor's treatment of Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Schweinsteiger joined United in 2015, but fell out of favour under Mourinho before being allowed to join MLS side Chicago Fire, having been frozen into the reserve team.

Van Gaal, who has been critical of United, hit out at their treatment of Bastian Schweinsteiger

He said: 'Schweinsteiger was older, of course, but not too old. Still, his body was not able to keep up with the high demands of Premier League. Bayern sold him to us as fit player, but, in reality, physically he had reached the end.

'How Mourinho treated him after me, Schweini did not deserve this. But it also explains how things were with Schweinsteiger.

'It's a shame because he is a player like Luis Enrique, Mark van Bommel or Philipp Lahm, a character always present on the pitch.'