Manchester United are reportedly set to ‘finalise the appointment’ of Erik ten Hag as the club’s next permanent manager.
United have been under the interim-management of Ralf Rangnick ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked back in November, with the club stressing they have been conducting a thorough and detailed approach to their latest managerial appointment.
PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino was the early bookmakers’ favourite for the role, though Ajax’s Ten Hag has overtaken him in recent weeks, and is said to have impressed in his interview last week.
A report in the Independent earlier on Wednesday suggested that the United hierarchy had been left with some ‘doubts’ over appointing the Dutchman who reportedly said it could take five years to get the club back to their former glories, though it seems as any potential doubts have now been cast aside.
According to ESPN, sources on both sides of the North Sea have told the outlet that the club have ‘settled on ten Hag as their new manager’, and that the 52-year-old is ‘ready to leave the Dutch champions to take charge at Old Trafford at the end of the season.’
The report says that while some at Manchester United still ‘favour’ Pochettino, chief executive Richard Arnold and Co-Owner Joel Glazer are ‘in agreement that ten Hag is the best candidate’, the search for a new manager having been led by Director of Football John Murtough and Technical director, Darren Fletcher.
The BBC also say that the club have ‘edged closer’ to appointing the Dutchman, though says that the process is ‘not complete and that it is premature to say a deal has been done’.
There’s been plenty of names thrown around as to who ten Hag would have as part of his backroom team, including Steve McLaren, Robin van Persie and Jaap Stam, though ESPN say that Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant, Rene Meulensteen, ‘is being considered’.
The report adds that the club’s recruitment department ‘have also been told to finalise shortlists on players in each position and present them to the new manager, though he will also be allowed to present his own targets.’
United’s links to Ten Hag have seen Ajax winger Antony and defender Jurrien Timber in recent days.
Ten Hag has won two league titles in the Netherlands and is on course to add a third this season, while he took Ajax to within a whisker of the Champions League final back in 2019, only to be knocked out by Lucas Moura’s last gasp winner.
