Manchester United transfer rumour: Felipe Anderson will stall Old Trafford move if Louis van Gaal is sacked

Manchester United's hope of signing Lazio star Felipe Anderson will rely on Louis van Gaal's future at the club as the midfielder is not willing to join the Red Devils if the Dutchman is no longer in charge at the club. The manager is under immense pressure after a poor set of results in the last two months.

The 20-time English champions have won only three out of their 13 matches played in all competitions, which include exits from the Capital One Cup and the Champions League. A defeat to Norwich City in the last fixture saw them drop out of the top four.

Van Gaal is an admirer of the attacking midfielder and is keen on bringing him to Old Trafford when the transfer window opens in January. According to The Times, Anderson will stall any advances from United if the former Barcelona coach is shown the exit door.

Van Gaal's future was reportedly at risk as he has two matches — against Stoke City and Chelsea — to save his job, reports the Guardian. The same report also suggests that sacked Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho could be in line to replace him.

The Times also suggests that Anderson is watched by United's league rivals Chelsea and European giants Bayern Munich. The Brazilian has been in impressive form for Lazio since joining them from Santos in 2013, scoring 14 goals and managing eight assists since the start of the 2014/15 season.

Calciomercato earlier reported that the 22-year-old has a gentleman's agreement to leave Lazio if a top club makes an approach for his signature. However, the agency that represents the player has denied those claims earlier in October.

"Contrary to reports, Felipe Anderson has not agreed a deal to leave Lazio and join anyone else," Base Soccer told ESPN. "Felipe is doing well at Lazio and is only focused on doing his best for them."