Swansea City line up Ryan Giggs as replacement manager

Ryan Giggs is being lined up to succeed Garry Monk as manager of Swansea City. The Welsh club sacked Monk on Wednesday, 22 months into his appointment, and according to The Independent, Giggs is in the frame to replace him.

The 42-year-old Welshman is currently serving as Louis van Gaal's assistant but with Manchester United in turmoil following their exit from the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday, speculation is growing that Giggs will swap Old Trafford for the Liberty Stadium.

The Independent says that Giggs, who moved into coaching in 2013 following his retirement as a player, "has made no secret of his desire to pursue a career in management." The thinking was that Giggs would take over from Van Gaal at the United helm when the Dutchman stepped down at the end of the 2016-17 season. But with United's form on the wane, rumours are rife that Van Gaal's tenure will be terminated sooner rather than later.

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The Daily Express says that Bayern Munich are increasingly resigned to losing Pep Guardiola to United at the end of this season, and if that is the case it would derail Giggs' plans to take over in 2017.

Though Swansea have yet to make a final decision on who will replace Monk, Giggs would be seen by the fans as a popular appointment, and he would also fit the club's "blueprint of hiring emerging coaches who favour attacking football". In the long run such a move might be an astute one on the part of Giggs, allowing him to gain valuable experience of managing a Premier League club before one day taking over at United.

The Manchester Evening News claims that Giggs is "open to leaving Old Trafford" in order to take the first step on the managerial ladder. Though he had a brief taste of the role in 2013-14, between the sacking of David Moyes and the arrival of Van Gaal, Giggs reportedly feels he is now ready to take on a permanent managerial role.

Giggs' youth would be no impediment to Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins, whose previous appointments as manager include Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa and Brendan Rodgers, all of whom were in their 30s when they took charge at the Liberty Stadium.