Is Louis van Gaal heading for the Premier League this summer?

Holland boss Louis van Gaal is being linked with a summer move to Premier League Tottenham

Dutch managerial legend Louis van Gaal could be set for a move to the Premier League next summer according to a number of English tabloids, including the Daily Mirror.

The 62-year-old will take his native Holland to the World Cup in Brazil in June, before heading for pastures new in the summer.

Hint

Van Gaal hinted at his next destination by telling the Daily Mirror: “I will definitely not be in charge for the European [Championship qualifying] campaign. I don’t know where I will go next, normally I go with my pension, go to live in Portugal, but maybe there will come a new challenge.

“I have said before that a challenge should be a club in the Premier League. That’s a challenge. Maybe Tottenham are coming, but first we have to go to Brazil.”

Tottenham

In that statement he mentioned Tottenham as a possible destination. The veteran boss has been linked with a move to both Tottenham and Chelsea in the past. However, he has never come out with a statement like that before.

It seems strange a comment like that coming out only a few months after former-coach Tim Sherwood was given an 18-month contract at White Hart Lane. Sherwood has done a decent job so far in north London, but speculation continues about whether he will be out of a job in the summer.

It would be a shame for Sherwood to be dismissed because it is not like he has made a terrible start to his managerial career. It is good to see an English coach getting a chance at a big club, instead of a foreign coach being brought in.

That could all change if you believe the reports in many of the English papers in recent days. Has Sherwood shown enough promise to be given a little time to impress?

Experienced

Louis van Gaal is one of the most experienced and decorated bosses in European football. The veteran boss has won league titles in Holland, Spain and Germany with Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively.

The fact that he has managed three of the biggest clubs in the history of European football says a lot about his managerial ability. However, questions have been asked about certain aspects of his personality.

Controversial

Louis van Gaal is known to be a big character, to say the least. He has had a number of personality clashes during his managerial career with players, opposition bosses and the media. Van Gaal has been described as being ‘blunt’ and ‘arrogant’ in the past.

There never seems to be a dull moment with Van Gaal about. He is definitely no shrinking violet that is for sure.

Attacking football

Van Gaal is a big advocate of the Total Football style of play made famous by Ajax and the Holland team of the 1970’s. The former-Ajax coach believes in attacking football, but players sometimes take a while to adjust to his tactics and ideas.

Van Gaal is not a boss that usually brings instant success, but he does have a record of producing trophies in the second or third season at a club. There is no doubt that Van Gaal’s attacking football philosophy would be embraced by Spurs fans.

High-profile

Louis van Gaal may be just the sort of high-profile boss that Tottenham need to take them to the next level. Current Spurs boss Sherwood has been thrown in at the deep end slightly and is just starting out as a boss.

For him to be starting his top-flight career at a top-six club may just be too much, too soon for the rookie boss. With him just starting out as a boss, he maybe does not have a big enough profile to attract big players to the club.

Van Gaal is not universally popular, but he is regarded by a lot of people as a winner. The Dutchman has a big reputation and could attract a better class of player to White Hart Lane in the future.

Summer

As always next summer will see a managerial merry-go-round, but nothing quite so dramatic as last summer’s turmoil. The summer will be a big one for Tottenham. At the moment Spurs look like they are set to miss out on qualification for the Champions League next season, and they are now odds of 9/2 to claim a top four position.

Unfortunately missing out on the top four could mean the end for Tim Sherwood as Spurs boss. If Sherwood does leave Spurs in the summer, I suggest that Van Gaal would be a very decent replacement for the rookie.

Is Louis van Gaal heading for the Premier League this summer?