Manchester United news: Louis van Gaal 'to be sacked' even if he wins FA Cup with Jose Mourinho to replace him

Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton are believed to have relxed their opposition to Jose Mourinho taken the job, paving the way for Louis van Gaal's dismissal

Louis van Gaal is facing the sack if he misses out on the top four (Getty)

Louis van Gaal will be replaced by Jose Mourinho at Manchester United even if he wins the FA Cup this season, according to reports on Friday morning that suggest the Dutchman will leave the club in the summer despite having a year left to run on his contract.

Van Gaal is already under pressure to finish in the top four to ensure Champions League football remains at Old Trafford next season – something that looks more unlikely following last weekend’s Premier League defeat by Tottenham.

But victory over West Ham on Wednesday to ensure United reached the FA Cup semi-finals, where they will meet Everton, eased the criticism of Van Gaal and offered him a glimmer of hope in his bid to remain United manager.

Despite winning the FA Cup 11 times – bettered only by Arsenal’s haul of 12 Cup final wins – United have not won the prestigious trophy since 2004 and haven’t even reached the final since their 1-0 defeat by Chelsea in 2007, so success in the tournament would prove to be a serious honour for Van Gaal to add to his CV.

However, The Mirror claims that even if United end their 12-year wait for the Cup, Van Gaal will still be axed in the summer due to the club’s preference for Mourinho to take over after Sir Alex Ferguson’s opposition to the Portuguese eased.

Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in December following a disastrous start to the Blues’ Premier League title defence, and he has since been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford to replace his friend Van Gaal.

The Independent understands that no official offer has been made to Mourinho to take over, but with United four points behind rivals Manchester City in the race for the top four, Champions League football is drifting further and further away.

Jose Mourinho is tipped to take over at United (Getty)

United missed out on the top four in David Moyes’s sole season in charge that ultimately cost the Scot his job, and it’s added that with Manchester City moving to bring Pep Guardiola to the Premier League and Liverpool and Chelsea expected to improve significantly next season, United are concerned that another season under Van Gaal could see them fall behind.

Along with Ferguson, United legend and club director Sir Bobby Charlton is also said to have relaxed his opposition to Mourinho’s appointment, despite the fear that the former Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid manager will have a negative impact on the club’s philosophy to develop young players from their own academy.