Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal tipped to replace Unai Emery as manager of Paris Saint-Germain

Louis van Gaal is a wanted man

Former Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal, who was relieved of his duties earlier this year, could soon be back managing a top European club if the latest rumours are to be true. French TV station, TF1, claim Paris Saint-Germain are interested in replacing current manager Unai Emery with Louis van Gaal. 

Unai Emery was appointed the manager of the Parisian club only the start of the current season but his employers are already considering replacing him due to a less-than-poor start to the season for the defending Ligue 1 champions. 

Paris Saint-Germain are third in the Ligue 1 table currently behind OGC Nice – who are seven points clear – and AS Monaco – who are three clear. And it isn’t going to get any easier for Emery given his side drew FC Barcelona in the first knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League. 

Van Gaal, who was let go of Manchester United, despite winning the FA Cup last season is seen as the kind of manager who could come in and help calm the storm. With the kind of experience managing Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, the Dutchman’s biggest job will be to lift the Parisian club back to where they belong – at the top of the table.

Having previously admitted that Manchester United would be his last job in football, the Dutchman has since made a u-turn and is on the search for a managerial seat in any of Europe’s top leagues. And Paris Saint-Germain could be the kind of club capable of reinstating the kind of reputation that followed him around before he managed the Manchester club. 

Paris Saint-Germain parted ways with Laurent Blanc at the end of last despite the Frenchman winning the Ligue 1 during both the years he managed. But the Qatari owners in charge of the club’s hierarchy see victory in the UEFA Champions League as a must in the near future and didn’t seem to think the club were heading in that direction under the former Manchester United defender. 

Having won the UEFA Champions League in 1994/1995 with Ajax, the owners believe Louis van Gaal knows how to prep a team for Europe’s elite competition while also ensuring he does enough to successfully challenge for the Ligue 1 title come the end of the season. 

With the loss to Guingamp on the weekend, Paris Saint-Germain will look to bounce back in the domestic league when they host Lorient at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.