Louis van Gaal has revealed his desire to be the next Manchester United manager as anticipation builds that he will be appointed at Old Trafford next week.
There had been considerable speculation that the Dutch coach would be confirmed as David Moyes’s successor following Tuesday’s game against Hull.
The club are not planning to make an announcement until next week, with the Dutchman confirming his desire to be given the job on Wednesday night.
“I would love the job,” he told BBC Sport at the start of a three-day World Cup training camp. “I hope that I shall be the one.”
He added: “You (the media) are thinking I’m the man but the most important thing is whether Manchester United are thinking that.”
Van Gaal, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach, is leaving his current role at the end of this summer’s tournament in Brazil and had apparently indicated that he wanted his future sorted before his first training camp began.
The 62-year-old has managed his country before during qualification for the 2002 World Cup but left the post after a disastrous campaign which saw them fail to make the tournament in Japan and South Korea.
And with two further training camps of three days taking place in the next fortnight and the provisional Dutch squad due to be announced next Tuesday, he made it clear he did not want speculation over his future to serve as a distraction.
“I have to focus on my job,” he said. “I am coach of the Dutch national team. I have waited a long time to be in a World Cup so that’s very important.
“This doesn’t affect me. I have always had offers. I know what the football world is and what it means.”
Van Gaal, who was also been linked with Tottenham, denied that any deal had already been agreed for him to take over at Old Trafford and stressed that he had other options on the table.
“There is no deal,” he said. “There are newspapers saying that I’ve already signed, there are even names of assistants. Too bad it goes this way.
“There are several clubs interested in Louis van Gaal, we’ll see what I choose to do and what choice that clubs are going to make. It’s a process, so it goes with all clubs.
“And then I can say nothing about that process at this time.”
