Manchester United want former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti to replace Louis van Gaal

Van Gaal is out of contract at the end of next season and is expected to retire

Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson talks following the Unicef Charity Match at Old Trafford (Getty Images)

Manchester United are already planning for life after Louis van Gaal after sounding out the availability of former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Van Gaal’s contract expires at the end of next season, where it is expected the 64-year-old Dutchman will retire from management, and United will be tasked with finding their third manager since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

The Express claims that United’s hierarchy want Ancelotti to replace Van Gaal should he call time on his spell at Old Trafford, although reports have also linked them with current Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.

While Allegri has already spoken out to dispel rumours of a Premier League move, Ancelotti has stressed that he wants his next job to be in the English top flight, having enjoyed a successful stay with Chelsea from 2009 until 2011.

Ancelotti led the Blues to a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2009-10, but was sacked the following season when his side were unable to retain their league crown. Having recently led the Rest of the World XI in David Beckham’s Unicef charity match against Ferguson’s GB & Ireland side, the former United manger praised Ancelotti’s abilities and admitted he can’t see him out of the game for too long.

"He's one of my good friends and also one of the best managers the game has seen," said Ferguson. "He's a great guy and I think he'll be back in the game shortly. People with that ability don't stay out of it for too long."

Ancelotti has been out of a job since Real Madrid sacked him in the summer, despite winning the famous La Decima-securing 10th Champions League title in the club’s history just a year earlier. It’s also thought that Real president Florentino Perez could look to bring Ancelotti back to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, with current manager Rafa Benitez facing a bleak future after just five months in the job.