Louis van Gaal will be given a £6million-a-year salary and a £200million transfer budget to help make Manchester United title contenders again. The Holland coach's appointment as David Moyes' successor on a three-year deal was finally confirmed at 2pm on Monday, an hour after an internal email informed staff of the new managerial structure. In a move that could be viewed as paving the way for a possible succession, Ryan Giggs was installed as his assistant. Giggs immediately announced his retirement as a player to concentrate on his new role.
Van Gaal will officially start work after the World Cup, but he has already begun shaping United's fortunes for next season, by ordering a series of backroom departures and arrivals and drawing up a list of transfer targets. While Germany defenders Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber, midfielders such as Toni Kroos and Arjen Robben and striker Mario Mandzukic are all under consideration, decisions have already been implemented on back-up staff.
