Man Utd have Erik ten Hag announcement ‘planned’ with deal for new boss ’99 per cent done’ | Football | Sport

Manchester United’s pursuit of Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is now apparently 99 per cent done – and the Red Devils are set to announce his appointment as the club’s new manager next week. United have been on the lookout for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent successor for almost five months after appointing Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis last November.

Old Trafford was full of excitement at the start of the season as United had built a side which looked more than capable of launching an assault on the Premier League title. But following a promising start, the wheels came off in the autumn as United endured a torrid run of form.

Solskjaer was eventually axed at the end of November following an embarrassing 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Watford, before Rangnick stepped in to temporarily steer the ship. But the German has failed to deliver and his side now look certain to miss out on a top-four finish after falling to seventh in the Premier League table.

Mauricio Pochettino was originally tipped as United’s preferred candidate to take the helm in Manchester. But the former Tottenham boss has endured his own struggles at Paris Saint-Germain and United have turned their attentions to Ten Hag.

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The paperwork is now going through and the only missing part is the final signatures – but they are believed to be a formality. And after Ajax play PSV in the Dutch Cup final on Sunday, the announcement will be made.

The Red Devils will reportedly only have to pay Ajax £1.7million in compensation for their highly-rated manager. And the club will be hoping Ten Hag can rebuild the club and restore the team’s winning mentality after nearly a decade in the wilderness.

United won 13 Premier League titles under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. But they have fallen into the abyss since the Scot retired in 2013 – and club chiefs will be hoping Ten Hag can solve their woes.

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