Erik ten Hag will already know he needs to hit the ground running after reaching an agreement to become the next Manchester United boss.
Old Trafford bosses are said to have wrapped up negotiations with Ten Hag earlier this week and he is now expected to sign a four-year contract to become the club’s next permanent manager.
The process to hire a new boss has been in motion since February, with Ralf Rangnick in charge until the end of the season.
But as well as fixing results on the pitch, the 52-year-old will be tasked with transforming the mood around Carrington, amid a backdrop of growing resentment and disillusionment. And Mirror Football understands that the dressing room disharmony could be set to increase further, after Paul Pogba was offered the chance to become the club’s highest paid player.
The French midfielder is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and up to this point, he has failed to reach an agreement over extending his stay. That’s despite the Red Devils offering Pogba a whopping £500,000-per-week to stay beyond the end of the season.
Pogba has failed to truly deliver on his promise, having returned to the club in an £89m deal back in 2016. His team-mates are said to be furious over the decision to offer him such a bumper new deal and there is a feeling he is not worth the pay hike and is outspoken in his criticism about the club.
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A United source said there will be mutiny within the dressing-room if Pogba ends up accepting the offer and remaining at Old Trafford, with players demanding the same parity in wages. The source said: “Some of the players think it’s out of order he could be getting twice as much as they’re when he hardly starts a game and talks about leaving all the time.”
It is believed that Ten Hag has made it clear that he wants to transform the squad in his own image and demanded assurances he would have full control over the playing staff. The Ajax boss wants to implement a high-pressing, high octane playing style and knows that the current crop of underperforming stars would struggle to meet those expectations.
Pogba, 29, is one of a number of high-profile stars set to become free agents in a matter of months, with Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata also set to seal their exits. Meanwhile, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Matic, Fred and Phil Jones have contracts that will expire in the summer of 2023.
Ten Hag, who will remain at Ajax for the remainder of this campaign, is said to have questioned United chiefs over their plans for the veteran players in the squad and would likely have the chance to veto any recruitment decisions prior to his arrival.
Rangnick, who will remain at the club in an advisory capacity has already confirmed he will be happy to brief the new coach and offer his verdict on the squad as it stands. “I have already done this, not to any managers, but inside the club,” the German explained. “I have told them how I see the current squad and what needs to happen in my opinion.
“I spoke regularly with board members and they know what I think needs to happen in the summer. If he [the next manager] is interested and willing to speak about that and interested in my opinion I will see what happens.”
