Erik ten Hag appears to be the man tasked with rebuilding Manchester United.
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The Dutch coach, 52, has already held talks with the Red Devils hierarchy and reports said the current Ajax boss impressed them with his vision for Manchester United.
Football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher are leading the search for United’s next permanent manager, as Ralf Rangnick is in interim charge until the end of this season.
A report from ESPN now says that Erik ten Hag has topped United’s four-man shortlist and the club are now finalizing his appointment.
What are the details?
The shortlist was said to be Erik ten Hag, Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Julen Lopetegui, while Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann are both admired by United but were deemed unattainable.
Per the report, former United assistant Rene Meulensteen will become Ten Hag’s assistant coach.
It also claims that the compensation Manchester United will pay Ajax to hire Ten Hag is just $2.2 million, compared with having to pay PSG $19.6 million for Pochettino.
The right man at the right time?
Over the past five years Erik ten Hag has turned Ajax into an exciting team to watch, as they have competed in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League while also developing young talent.
Ten Hag is regarded as one of the best coaches in Europe but the only time he’s managed outside of Holland was with Bayern Munich II in 2013-15.
Many will say he was the easier option to hire over Mauricio Pochettino, who is locked into a contract at Paris Saint-Germain and the French giants were said to want compensation in full.
That said, Erik ten Hag will bring new ideas to the Premier League and his fresh approach could be exactly what Manchester United need to reinvent themselves.
Ten Hag’s faith in young players will also be key to United’s rebuild, as they will focus on giving academy players the chance to come through while also recruiting the best young talent on the planet.
