MANCHESTER UNITED APPOINT ERIK TEN HAG AS NEW MANAGER
Manchester United have announced that they have appointed former Ajax manager, Erik Ten Hag, as the new first-team manager for the club.
The club released a statement on Thursday morning that read: “Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Erik ten Hag as Men’s First Team Manager, subject to work visa requirements, from the end of this season until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year.”
Rumors around Ten Hag’s appointment at United have been circulating in the past few weeks, with the 52-year-old emerging as the favorite to get the job ahead of PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino and former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
European football journalist, Fabrizio Romano, reported on Monday that Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United had reached a contract agreement but the announcement of Ten Hag’s appointment was dependent on Manchester United agreeing on a €2million clause with Eredivisie side, Ajax.
Manchester United’s football director, John Murtough, said: “During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.”
“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.”
“We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.”
The announcement comes after Manchester United’s 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday. Manchester United interim manager, Ralf Rangnick told the press this week regarding the appointment of a new manager: “Of course, it’s important to know who will be the new manager to start the recruitment process. To find the best possible players only makes sense if you know who will be the manager and how does he want to play.”
Ten Hag’s appointment is indicative of the many changes expected to take place at Manchester United over the next year or so, including the renovation of the club’s training grounds and Old Trafford, turnover of players, and exit of staff. The exodus of staff at the club has already begun with long-term chief scout Jim Lawlor choosing to step down on Wednesday this week after 16 years with the club.
The appointment of Ten Hag means that Ralf Rangnick will transition upstairs to his advisory role for next season. Rangnick is expected to assist in club structure and play a part in recruitment. The former Lokomotiv Moscow sports and development manager told media this week that he had already named a few players to the board that could be of interest to Manchester United, independent of the style of football or the new manager.
Ten Hag is expected to be joined at the club by Mitchell van der Gaag, Ajax’s current assistant manager, as part of his coaching staff. Van der Gaag is still in contract talks with United. It’s also reported that Ten Hag wants Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant manager, Steve McLaren, to be his number 2 at the club, something that the Manchester United board has been hesitant to back, according to the Daily Mail. McLaren and Ten Hag worked together at FC Twente and guided the Dutch club to a second-place finish in the 2008/09 season.
It is reported that Ten Haag is keen on a coach who knows the Premier League, and ideally, Manchester United, inside and out. He considered former Manchester United strikers Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Robin Van Persie but both were unavailable. Manchester United are said to not be opposed to the move but would prefer Ten Hag to assess the current coaching set-up at the club before making a final decision.
On his appointment as United manager, Erik Ten Hag said: “It is a great honor to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead. I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.”
“It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United.”
Ten Hag worked with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich and knows the Spaniard on the other side of Manchester really well. His deal at United is a three-year contract that commences at the end of the season and will keep him at the club until June of 2025, with an option for a further year.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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