Louis van Gaal is eager to have his deal with Manchester United rubberstamped. The Mail on Sunday says the deal, say senior sources at the club, is all but done after talks last week.

The focus remains on a 62-year-old Dutchman who is in a position to devote a bit of thinking time to United before he turns his full attention to Holland's World Cup campaign.

It appears that Van Gaal would accommodate Ryan Giggs as well as someone like Patrick Kluivert. But there is no guarantee, say sources, that Giggs would accept such a role. He is very much his own man, as are Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville.