(Football news) According to sources, Manchester United are on the brink of finalising the deal to sign Erik Ten Hag as permanent manager for next season, The 52 year old was interviewed by the club last month and was on a four ma shortlist which included Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino, current Spain manager Luis Enrique and Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui. The pursuit for the new manager was led by football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher. 

Pochettino was also a favourite for the job, but he remains contractually obliged to Paris Saint-Germain for another 12 months and it would take £15m to release him from the French capital. Moreover, the Argentine manager has struggled with PSG this season and the Manchester United hierarchy, especially chief executive Richard Arnold and Joel Glazer believed that Ten Hag would be a better fit for the club. 

As per the sources, Rene Meulensteen, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-team coaches from 2007 to 2013 is a candidate who could join Ten Hag at Manchester United as assistant manager. Both Ajax and Manchester United have excellent relations, especially because former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is currently the Chief Executive of the Dutch club. It’s expected that Manchester United will pay £1.7m as compensation for his services and Ajax have accepted his inevitable departure.

If social media is anything to go by, Manchester United fans seem to prefer Ten Hag over Pochettino as the Dutch manager represents a distinctive style of play based on possession based football. However, both the fans and Manchester United’s hierarchy will need to be patient and fully back Ten Hag if they are to see a clear improvement at the club. Considering the number of players leaving in the summer combined with Ten Hag’s inexperience of working at a club of this stature and in the Premier League, it will take at least a season or two to adapt to his new environment. 

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