Krishnan Sreekumar
Fabrizio Romano says Manchester United working to bring Mitchell van der Gaag alongside new manager Erik ten Hag
According to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Manchester United are working on preparing the contract in order to rope in Ajax Amsterdam coach Mitchell van der Gaag at the end of the season alongside incoming new manager Erik ten Hag.
ten Hag has been appointed as the new permanent boss at United and is expected to join the club in the summer. He is currently in charge of Ajax, where he is trying to lead the Dutch side to a hat-trick of Eredivisie titles – all of which will have been won under his tenure.
He is assisted by van der Gaag, who is part of the Ajax boss’ backroom staff in Amsterdam and has been called his ‘number 2‘. The duo have been working together over the last few years, helping the club to win multiple league titles and domestic cup competitions.
Although the appointment of ten Hag has been made official by the Red Devils, there have been no updates on who will form part of his coaching staff at his new club. Now, it looks van der Gaag could follow him to Manchester at the end of the season.
Talks ongoing to bring van der Gaag
Romano confirmed that United are getting closer to coming to an agreement to bring the assistant coach to the Premier League, and that talks were ongoing between them and Ajax. van der Gaag is also said to be considered an important addition to a new-look team at Old Trafford.
The English top-flight club are looking to usher in a new era of success and trophies under ten Hag, and recruiting his current assistant coach is sure to help him get settled into his new job. The Dutchman has quite the job on his hands in the summer, and will need all the support he can get.
The 52-year-old is expected to immediately turn around the fortunes of the club, after enduring a disappointing campaign that has seen them fail to win any silverware. This summer will now mark five years since the English club last won a trophy.
Not just this, they are set to finish outside the top four of the Premier League table, which will see them miss out on playing Champions League football next season. The Manchester side currently sit sixth in the league table, and could even drop to seventh place if West Ham United win their remaining games to get ahead.
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A massive squad rebuild is expected to take place at Old Trafford ahead of the next season, with ten Hag looking to recruit players that he believes can fit into his system. This is no easy task, which is why it is positive news to hear about United working to bring van der Gaag to the club to support him.
The duo has guided Ajax through a successful period of trophies in the past few seasons, and they will be expected to replicate that same magic with the Red Devils as well. With ten Hag’s appointment confirmed, it now looks like it may just be a matter of time before his assistant coach also joins him.
