Erik ten Hag has already made contact with Manchester United players

Erik ten Hag has already made contact with several Manchester United players via intermediaries in an effort to gauge the mood inside the Old Trafford dressing room.

The Ajax manager has emerged as one of the leading candidates to take over from interim boss Ralf Rangnick and become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent successor.

While United’s senior players are said to prefer the credentials of Mauricio Pochettino, Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League capitulation against Real Madrid on Wednesday represented a further blow to the former Tottenham manager’s reputation.

Rangick’s attempts, meanwhile, to trigger an upturn in fortunes since taking over from Solskjaer in December have been regularly undermined by rumours of disharmony, and he has been publicly forced to address comments made on social media by the likes of Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard.

Last week, United players were said to be shocked by Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to abandon the team ahead of the Manchester derby, while Harry Maguire’s continued presence at the heart of the defence, not to mention his status as club captain, has raised eyebrows in some quarters.

Marcus Rashford, too, is said to be contemplating his future after again being overlooked for a starting spot against City, adding to the overall picture of discontent.

Ten Hag has built his reputation for playing fast, attacking football during his stint in charge of Ajax and would appear perfectly suited to the United job, but he is wary of walking into a toxic atmosphere and, according to The Times, is already carrying you his due diligence.

Last weeks reports claimed the 52-year-old was already taking English lessons ahead of a potential move.

Although Ten Hag can speak the language to a good level at present, he wants to be fluent by the summer so he can convey his philosophy to United’s board – and eventually the players.

When the Dutchman held brief talks with Spurs last year, the language barrier was said to be an issue during discussions.

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