Manchester United have reached an agreement in principle with Erik ten Hag to become their new manager.
The Ajax boss is said to have shaken hands on a deal which lasts up to four years, with the Red Devils finally finding a permanent successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked in November. Ralf Rangnick has since presided over first-team affairs and will move into a two-year consultancy role at the end of the season.
Old Trafford chiefs made a breakthrough in negotiations with Ten Hag on Tuesday after multiple in-depth interviews, as the 52-year-old laid out his long-term plan for United, including having the final say on transfers and transforming their style of play.
Having beaten Mauricio Pochettino in the race for the Old Trafford hot seat, Ten Hag is in line to become the Red Devils' fifth permanent manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer, all of whom failed to bring the glory days back to the Theatre of Dreams.
Now it will be the Dutchman's task to revitalise United, with Rangnick expected to lend a hand from upstairs. The interim boss has remained tight-lipped on talk of Ten Hag succeeding him, telling a new conference last week: "From what I know, all the managers the club has so far spoken to are top managers, top coaches. If this includes Erik ten Hag, it is also true with him. That is all I can say at this stage."
Meanwhile, ex-Red Devils captain Gary Neville recently warned Ten Hag over taking the job on his Sky Sports podcast. Neville stated: "If you're Ralf Rangnick reporting in to ten Hag and answering him honestly, which I suspect he will be, and if you're [Donny] van de Beek answering him honestly, which I suspect he will be, and we know Edwin van der Sar is over there [at Ajax] who will be speaking to ten Hag honestly.
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"They'll be saying, 'be very careful, be very careful about going to Manchester United', because it can be a graveyard at this moment in time for reputations. Ralf Rangnick came in with an incredible reputation. He still has that reputation, but he’s now starting to be wounded by what’s happening around him.
"He looks weaker and more vulnerable on the touchline because of the performances of the players that are nothing to do with him. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a good man, those players liked him, and they turned him over! So it's a really difficult position for the club to be at. I feel at this moment, like most Manchester United fans, I don’t know where to turn next or what’s going to happen."
A number of names have been linked with joining Ten Hag's coaching staff, such as Steve McClaren, Robin van Persie and Rene Meulensteen, three men who possess experience of working at United during their trophy-laden years under Ferguson.
