Manchester United have found their manager. Ajax boss man Erik ten Hag, who has been the leading candidate for a long time, is currently in the process of finalizing his deal, which is reportedly set top run for four years. At Old Trafford, he’ll earn the highest salary that a Dutch coach has ever collected in the Premier League
According to multiple outlets, agreement has been reached in principle on Ten Hag, 52, and now it’s just a matter of hammering out the final details.
Man Utd’s appointment of Erik ten Hag as their next manager is all but done ?
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 13, 2022
Don’t expect an official announcement to come this week however. According to CNN, the confirmation of Erik ten Hag “is not expected until after Ajax’s Dutch Cup final against PSV Eindhoven this Sunday, according to British media reports.”
According to ESPN, Erik Ten Hag “will stay in charge of Ajax until the end of the season, when they conclude their campaign with a trip to Vitesse on May 15, but is likely to have an influence on transfer dealings before then.”
So will things be different this time for United?
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired (and it will be a decade since he left next year) it’s been a disaster at worst, disappointment at best, with the hires of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and David Moyes all not working out, to various levels.
Riding a half-decade trophy drought and unlikely to qualify for Champions League next season, Ten Hag really has his work cut out for him to say the least. The club needs a major squad overhaul, and the Dutchman needs to be given the power to carry it all out.
We’re going to cover that all, on this website, shortly.
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Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.