Erik ten Hag has ‘two Man Utd demands’ with Ajax boss undecided on whether to take the job

Man Utd 'close in' on deal for ten Hag as new manager

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Erik ten Hag has two demands to be met before he accepts the Manchester United job, according to reports. It was widely claimed on Wednesday night that the Ajax head coach had moved closer to being appointed as the new Red Devils boss.

United have overseen a lengthy five-month search for their next permanent manager after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November. Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim boss but has endured a tough time.  

There was some suggestion that Rangnick could be offered the job full-time, with the German even revealing that he could nominate himself to the club’s board. However, an inconsistent run of form and a dismal last-16 exit from the Champions League made him an unlikely candidate.  

Instead, the hiring process appeared to land on Ten Hag and former Tottenham tactician Mauricio Pochettino as the board’s favourites to win the role. In the last few days, it has become clearer that Ten Hag is the frontrunner. 

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On Wednesday, ESPN reported that the 52-year-old is close to finalising a deal that would see him become the new United boss. He would become the fifth man to permanently hold the role since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.  

But first, Ten Hag wants two assurances before accepting an offer. According to The Times, the two-times Eredivisie winner wants to be ‘satisfied’ that he is walking into the right environment and that he has sufficient tools to rekindle the club’s success of decades gone by.  

Managers in the aftermath of Ferguson’s 26-year tenure have found a complex structure within the Old Trafford hierarchy that can often become difficult to deal with. Rangnick entered a dressing room with plenty of big egos and has had a couple of public spats with high-profile stars. 

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After Saturday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Leicester, which left United needing a huge upturn in form to qualify for the Champions League, Rangnick urged the Old Trafford hierarchy to improve the physicality of the squad. The German feels United are technically excellent but need to be more physical.  

That could mean Ten Hag oversees drastic changes in the summer transfer window if given the job. To do so, Dutch football journalist Marcel van der Kraan believes Ten Hag will need a settled structure around him. 

He told Sky Sports News: “One of the two guarantees Ten Hag wants is having a backroom staff which will fit him and Manchester United, and which will be good for him in terms of a total setup of changing the club’s philosophy and identity.”
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