Ryan Giggs Quit Fears Reported Amid Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly concerned Ryan Giggs will call time on his Red Devils career if he is not installed as manager in the event of Louis van Gaal departing the club.

Van Gaal has come under increasing pressure recently following a string of poor results and may not be long for Old Trafford, with Giggs and Jose Mourinho the favourites to replace the Dutchman, per Paul Hetherington and Harry Pratt of the Daily Star Sunday.

Giggs is currently assistant manager to Van Gaal and has been with the club as both a player and coach since joining the United youth setup in 1987.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

According to John Cross and David McDonnell, the 42-year-old could quit the club if he is overlooked for the top job when Van Gaal leaves, and he is also reluctant to be interim manager again, "unless it leads to a permanent job."

Giggs took charge of United temporarily for the last four games of the 2013-14 Premier League season following the sacking of David Moyes.

He was then installed as assistant coach upon the appointment of Van Gaal, but promoting him permanently to the managerial role would be a huge gamble considering his lack of experience, per football writer Chris Winterburn:

Mourinho would be a much safer pair of hands given his phenomenal managerial record, and he is reportedly desperate to get the United job, per Miguel Delaney in the Independent. 

As noted by Bleacher Report's Dean Jones, the Portuguese could well get the best out of United's current crop of players:

However, according Cross and McDonnell, the Old Trafford hierarchy "fear that Giggs would be reluctant to be No. 2 again under another manager without receiving major assurances about his future." 

And if the Welshman threatens to walk if he is not given the manager's job, United have a big problem.

As a player, Giggs was one of the Red Devils' best ever, and his continued association with the club indicated that he is being primed to eventually take over as manager.

It is clear that United see Giggs as their Pep Guardiola, a former player who could step into the manager's job with plenty of club knowledge and support at his fingertips, per MailOnline's Joe Bernstein. 

But there is no guarantee that he is ready to take over such a huge job—the rebuild of a once-great side.

Van Gaal looks ripe for the sacking. United's hopes of reaching the Champions League next season diminish with every dropped point and insipid performance, and if he is not pushed during the current campaign he is unlikely to stay beyond the end of the season, per the Daily Star's Jeremy Cross.

Mourinho would surely be the safest choice to take the reins and, considering his pattern of staying only two or three seasons at a club, United could appease Giggs by assuring him he will take the job when the former Chelsea man eventually departs.

However, Giggs' apparent reluctance to spend any more time as the No. 2 will undoubtedly give the powers that be pause for thought when they decide upon Van Gaal's successor.