Erik ten Hag confident of Manchester United appointment after more talks

Erik ten Hag is confident of being offered the position of Manchester United’s next permanent manager following the agreement between the Dutchman’s camp and the club that Steve McClaren should be appointed as his No 2 if the 51-year-old does take over.

The Ajax coach has held more talks with United over succeeding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is understood to view the club’s willingness to consider McClaren, who Ten Hag worked under at FC Twente for the 2008-9 season,as a positive sign he could be heading to Old Trafford. Although a final deal is yet to be sealed, there would now be surprise from Ten Hag and his advisors if the Ajax coach misses out.

From United’s initial five-man shortlist which also included Spain coach, Luis Enrique, Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui, Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel and Paris Saint-Germain’s Maurico Pochettino, Ten Hag has emerged as the executive’s clear favourite.At the start of the process Enrique was a particularly admired candidate but after the 51-year-old made it clear he would not leave Spain until after the winter’s World Cup he effectively ruled himself out as United want the new manager in place for the summer transfer window.

Tuchel, too, has proved unattainable due to his commitment to Chelsea and though Lopetegui and Pochettino were interviewed, Ten Hag emerged as the first-choice, impressing in discussions led by John Murtough, United’s football director, and overseen by Joel Glazer, the co-chairman.

If Ten Hag is appointed and McClaren joins him it will be a return to the club 21 years after for the 60-year-old former England coach was Sir Alex Ferguson’s No 2, from 1999-2001. At the end of his first season at United the club claimed the treble. McClaren’s experience of United and the