Struggling English premiership giants Manchester United on Thursday appointed current Ajax Amsterdam manager Erik ten Hag as their new full-time head coach.
The Dutchman, a well respected figure in the Netherlands who guided Ajax to the Eredivisie title in 2019, will replace interim boss Ralph Rangnick in the hot seat at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
In a social media post, United confirmed that ten Hag has signed a three-year deal with them, which would last until the middle of 2025. He will also have an option to extend his stay in Carrington for a year.
"Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Erik ten Hag as Men's First Team Manager, subject to work visa requirements, from the end of this season until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year," the club tweeted.
The 52-year-old's appointment ended months of speculation over the top job at Old Trafford. Earlier reports suggested that Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino was the front-runner to become the Red Devils' new manager.
But according to football website Goal.com, things fell into place for ten Hag after he impressed United's top management, including CEO Richard Arnold, with his vision for the club during official interviews last month.
Ten Hag himself called his appointment a "great honour", considering he has never coached a club as big as United in the past.
"It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead. I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve," he told the club's website.
Ten Hag will have his work cut out at United, however. The once mighty side is dealing with a plethora of problems at the moment — from reported divisions within the first team squad to dwindling fan support to a string of poor results, everything has gone from bad to worse for the club in recent weeks.
The 2021-22 season has turned out to be a disaster for United, having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup in the early rounds.
While they are still in the upper half of the Premier League, chances of a top-4 finish look grim for the Red Devils as Cristiano Ronaldo and his Manchester United teammates currently occupy the sixth spot in the table.
United are on 54 points after 33 games, while fourth and fifth placed Tottenham and Arsenal both have 57 points plus a game in hand.