The appointment of Erik ten Hag has split the Manchester United dressing room, with some players reported to be left ‘underwhelmed’ by the club’s plans to appoint the Dutchman.
The Ajax manager is the clear frontrunner to take charge at Old Trafford this summer, having impressed club officials during his interview last month.
Mauricio Pochettino is pushing the Dutchman but the Red devils are believed to favour Ten Hag for his attacking philosophy, vision and calmness.
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The 52-year-old has built two formidable teams at Ajax, the first of which got to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2019 by beating clubs like Juventus and Real Madrid along the way.
Ten Hag then rebuilt the side after the sales of Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, and the side are on course to win the title again this campaign.
But the Manchester Evening News claim that the prospect of Ten Hag’s appointment has left some sections of the squad ‘underwhelmed’, as they felt they would appoint a bigger name.
Managers like Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique have been linked to the role at the club.
Some United players are genuinely excited by Ten Hag’s appointment, believing his hands-on coaching could aid their game.
That there is a divide in the dressing room speaks to the fact that United is fractured at this moment in time, with up to 11 players expected to leave at the end of the season.
Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani and Lingard are all set to leave on free transfers, while Phil Jones, Henderson, Anthony Martial, Van de Beek and Eric Bailly are all set to be available.
