According to multiple reports Erik ten Hag has been chosen as the next Manchester United manager after Ralf Rangnick leaves the role at the end of the season.
The current Ajax manager was reportedly chosen from the list that included the names of Antonio Conte, Luis Enrique, Julen Lopetegui, Thomas Tuchel, and Mauricio Pochettino.
Football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher have led United’s pursuit of a new manager, who have reported to chief executive Richard Arnold, with joint-chairman Joel Glazer having the final decision on the appointment.
The players and some backroom staff at United prefer Pochettino as a better fit given his Premier League experience with Southampton and Tottenham but Arnold and Glazer are in agreement that Ten Hag is the best candidate to replace interim manager Ralf Rangnick who has been in charge since December.
The choice for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor was narrowed down to Ten Hag and Pochettino, but PSG’s struggles this season combined with the potential cost of releasing him from the remaining 12 months of his contract at Parc des Princes turned the tide in Ten Hag’s favor for both footballing and financial reasons.
Pochettino, 50, had initially been United’s favored candidate to replace Solskjaer with the Argentine also open to a move to Old Trafford after struggling to impose himself on the job at PSG since taking charge midway through last season.
PSG’s Champions League exit at the round-of-16 stage against Real Madrid did not help his cause with the United job due to the club’s determination to avoid hiring a manager deemed to have failed in a recent role.
PSG’s readiness to hold out for a £15 million compensation package was another issue for United who can appoint Erik ten Hag if they pay a £1.7m compensation figure to Ajax.
Ten Hag’s Ajax sits atop the Eredivisie and plays some of the most eye-catching football albeit in a lower graded league.
