Manchester United has officially announced the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the team’s new manager.
The 52-year-old will replace Ralf Rangnick in the role after the end of the season.
His appointment has been the worst kept secret in footballing circles with United openly courting the Ajax boss to take over as permanent manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Erik ten Hag as men’s first team manager, subject to work visa requirements, from the end of this season until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year,” United said in a statement.
Nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson signed off at Manchester United with the Premier League title, the club has struggled mightly and seen the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City obliterate the record books.
United’s hierarchy will be desperate for new boss Erik ten Hag to reverse the decline at Old Trafford.
The shortlist for the new Manchester United manager came down to ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino with the Dutchman coming out on top.
The manager, according to reports, will be offered around £200m to spend on signings at the club this summer, while up to 12 players could be leaving including United’s top scorer this season Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United have agreed a £2.5m compensation package with Ajax for Erik ten Hag and his assistant Mitchell van der Gaag.
“It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead,” said Erik ten Hag.
“I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.
“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.”
