Manchester United board set timeline for announcing Erik ten Hag's appointment

Manchester United remain confident of appointing Erik ten Hag as their new manager and have set out an announcement timeline to avoid disrupting Ajax’s season, according to reports.

The Dutchman has established himself as the first choice to succeed interim boss Ralf Rangnick in the Old Trafford hotseat but there had been rumblings that he was not entirely convinced about taking over and had sought a number of assurances.

It was suggested that Ten Hag wanted full control over United’s recruitment, though in reality he is happy to focus on simply coaching the team – though he will still have a say on transfers.

According to The Telegraph, United’s hierarchy are now in the stages of working through the finer details of the deal and already have an idea of when they might appoint Ten Hag.

The club are determined to be respectful of Ajax – who are still competing for two trophies – and will therefore wait until after the Dutch Cup final before announcing Ten Hag to avoid any distractions which could potentially derail their campaign.

United have always enjoyed good relations with Ajax – particularly chief executive Edwin van der Sar, who was of course a player at Old Trafford – and want to maintain those links.

Ajax take on fierce rivals PSV Eindhoven on Sunday in the KNVB Cup, while they are four points clear at the top of the Eredivisie table with a massively superior goal difference and only five games left of the season.

An announcement is likely before Ajax have wrapped up the title but not before the Cup final on April 17, with United still hopeful of having their man secured by the end of the month.

Ten Hag does have a release clause in his contract – believed to be anything from £2million to £4m – but United intend to negotiate with Ajax out of respect for the club rather than simply buying out his contract.

United’s hierarchy have always been planning to secure their new manager before the end of the season so he can assess the squad well in advance of pre-season and contribute to the recruitment process prior to the transfer window opening, giving him the best possible chance of hitting the ground running.

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