Erik ten Hag will hold one-on-one meetings with his new Manchester United players to get a head-start on the major overhaul he faces.
Ten Hag does not officially take charge at United until June, but the Ajax boss is already assessing the squad he will inherit and is keen to get to know them as quickly as possible. The 52-year-old Dutchman plans to hold individual Zoom meetings with every member of United's squad, including those players who are out of contract, over the next three weeks.
Ten Hag wants to hit the ground running when he arrives in Manchester and be more familiar with the squad, to allow him to make swift decisions on which players to keep and which to let go. Some of United's players feel Ten Hag will use the interviews to give him an idea of who is best suited to captain his side, with current skipper Harry Maguire not certain to keep the armband.
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A United source said: “Erik is meticulous in his planning. He wants to know where everyone’s at with their mentality and situation at the club and has said he wants to discuss their futures regarding who wants to stay and who wants to go. He wants to give everyone a chance to discuss any issues or problems in private, before he arrives, so he can get a head-start on the summer.”
One player certain to be leaving United this summer is £89million club record signing Paul Pogba, who is out of contract at the end of this season. Pogba is understood to have told his United team-mates he is on his way and is even said to have left the WhatsApp player group the squad uses to stay in touch.
The France World Cup winner has played his last game for United, with injury meaning he will miss the rest of the season. Pogba, who rejoined United from Juventus in 2016, has offers to join Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent this summer.
