have confirmed the appointment of boss Erik ten Hag on a three-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months.
The Dutchman beat the likes of and Luis Enrique to the job at Old Trafford, after impressing the club’s board during the interview process in March.
Ten Hag, 52, has guided Ajax to two Eredivisie titles since taking charge in Amsterdam in 2018 and they’re on course to win a third this term.
His biggest achievement to date is guiding Ajax to the semi-finals in 2019, where they beat Juventus and Real Madrid before a gut-wrenching defeat to Tottenham in the second-leg of the semi-finals.
Ten Hag says it’s a ‘great honour’ to be named United’s new manager.
‘It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead,’ said 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.
Pochettino had been the favourite to take charge at Old Trafford following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure in November but a disappointing second season with Paris Saint-Germain saw the Argentine lose favour with United’s board.
But United’s Football Director John Murtough says Ten Hag fits the profile of manager that the club were searching for.
‘During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth,’ said Murtough.
‘In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.
‘We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.’
Ralf Rangnick has taken interim charge of the Red Devils since Solskjaer’s sacking but he’s failed to turn the side’s fortunes around, with Champions League qualification appearing unlikely this term.
The German is set to take on a two-year consultancy role this summer, though the specific details of his role are unclear.
Ten Hag has operated under one of the most revered structures in world football during his time at Ajax but United have been widely criticised for their lack of know-how at board level in recent years.
The club have tried to rectify that with the appointment of Darren Fletcher and John Murtough into senior positions in the last 12 months but one of Ten Hag’s key demands during negotiations was to have the final say on recruitment, both in and out.
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