Louis van Gaal: 'Pep Guardiola best manager in Premier League'

Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has described Pep Guardiola as the best manager in the Premier League after turning Manchester City into "a machine".

The Citizens currently lead the second-placed Red Devils by 16 points at the top of the standings and are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Guardiola joined Man City in 2016 and finished his first term empty-handed, but claimed the EFL Cup earlier this season and stands on the brink of the league title.

"Pep Guardiola is for me currently the best coach of the Premier League," Van Gaal - who was sacked by Man United in 2016 - told German publication Bild.

"Pep made City a machine. He shows a football that I would have liked to play at Manchester United.

"But he has better players for it. For me, the process would have taken longer. Unfortunately, I did not get the time."

Guardiola won multiple trophies in his previous managerial stints, at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.