Steve McClaren has been all-in during his first week back at Manchester United with Erik ten Hag joining him as they meet a host of key figures, with their transfer business on the agenda.
The club's football director, John Murtough, has been part of a huge restructure, that also saw Richard Arnold become the chief executive, a role previously held by Ed Woodward before his departure. Ten Hag will work closely with Murtough and the pair have been involved in plenty of discussions with the Dutchman left Ajax.
Recruitment and player retention will both be key if United are to close the gap on the Premier League's elite. Murtough will play his role in that as Ten Hag draws conclusions on his current squad. The new boss spoke about the "project" he's embarking on and McClaren revealed that Murtough has been a "fantastic help"
On the McClaren Performance podcast, the new United No 2 said: "Erik finished his last game [at Ajax], came to London where I met him and Mitchell [van der Gaag] and John Murtough and together we spent five or six days including [Monday] with the press. So we have spent the last week working.
"The work ethic and the attention to detail has just been exemplified in the last seven days where he's practically met every member of staff who he is going to work very closely with and in detail has worked out the plan - what each person's job is.
"It's not just exciting going back to Manchester United, it's exciting working with Erik again. And after a week with Mitchell, a very, very good coach, and hopefully together, along with the staff and John Murtough also has been a fantastic help in the process, we can begin middle of June when [the] players come back.
"It's a new beginning. I know Erik is looking forward to it and I certainly am. It was great to catch up with him over the last seven days and bond again and hopefully make a great team off the field that will, ultimately, produce one on the field."
United are set to lose a host of players over the coming weeks. Paul Pogba will leave on a free as his contract winds down with Nemanja Matic also exiting. Ten Hag is also working with budget restraints due to the club missing out on the top four. Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Alex Telles are among those who could be sold to raise funds.
