Louis van Gaal has warned Ajax manager Erik ten Hag against taking over as the new manager of Manchester United, telling him that the Red Devils are 'a commercial club'.
Ten Hag has already been interviewed about potentially being appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's long-term successor and is one of the leading candidates alongside Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino.
But Van Gaal, who was United boss from 2014 until 2016, warned his fellow Dutchman against taking the job.
'I think Ten Hag is a great coach,' Van Gaal said. 'A great coach is good for Man Utd.
'But, they are a commercial club. Those are difficult choices for a coach. He should choose a football club, not a commercial club.'
Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his two years as United boss but was sacked shortly before United moved to bring Jose Mourinho in as manager.
The now Holland manager worked alongside Ed Woodward as chief executive at United, who was often perceived as focusing on raising revenue off the pitch but unable to deliver success on it.
Richard Arnold took the reigns from Ed Woodward in the day-to-day running of the club on February 1 and will oversee United's appointment of a new long-term manager at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal has been critical of Woodward in the past. Talking to the BBC after his United sacking, he said: 'I can imagine Woodward chooses Mourinho. He is a top coach. He has won a lot of titles. More than me.
'What I don't like is Woodward contacting my successor, knowing in his mind he will replace me and he keeps his mouth shut for six months. Every Friday I had to go into press conferences and be asked what I thought about the rumours. What does that do to the authority of the coach?
'To win the FA Cup when, for six months, the media has a noose round my neck, is my biggest achievement.
'I spoke to Woodward the day after that game. His argument was that I was only going to be there for one more year and Mourinho would be there for three, four or five. I appreciate he hired a private plane to get me back to Portugal but his arguments were not good enough.'
Now as Holland manager, Van Gaal is preparing his side for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They meet Germany in a friendly on Tuesday night.
United, meanwhile, are sixth in the Premier League standings are four points off Arsenal, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place.
The Gunners have a game in hand on United, whose pursuit of the top four resumes at the weekend when they host Leicester at Old Trafford.