United appoint Ajax boss

Manchester United have appointed Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as their new manager, to replace interim Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season.

Sky Sports News reported on March 31 Ten Hag was in pole position to land the job over Mauricio Pochettino

The 52-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. He told United’s website: “It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead.

“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.”

Edwin van der Sar, Ajax’s chief executive and a former United goalkeeper, said, “we would have liked to have kept Erik for longer”, but added, “he is going to make the step to one of the biggest clubs in the world”.

Ten Hag will be United’s fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. The club have won only three trophies in the following nine years – the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League – while they are currently in danger of missing out on qualification for the Champions League next season.

Ten Hag is set to oversee a much-needed rebuild at United, with Rangnick – who is due to take up a consultancy role at Old Trafford this summer – saying after the 4-0 thrashing at rivals Liverpool on Tuesday that the side may need up to 10 new players.

United appoint Ajax boss

A number of first-team players, including Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani, could be set to leave as part of the overhaul, with their contracts expiring at the end of the season.

The 52-year-old has had admirers at Old Trafford stretching back to 2018/19, when his Ajax side knocked out Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League, before then stunning Juventus and only being denied a place in the final after Lucas Moura’s last-minute goal for Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham.