Erik ten Hag sent congratulatory message by Feyenoord boss as he nears Manchester United job

Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot has congratulated Ajax chief Erik ten Hag on his impending move to Manchester United.

Ten Hag, who was sounded out as United's preferred candidate last month, is on the brink of taking charge at Old Trafford ahead of the start of next season. A deal is very close to being agreed, with suggestions that all that is left to be done is for the Dutchman to put pen to paper on his contract.

The 52-year-old has been linked with the United vacancy ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked back in November and has proven to be a popular choice amongst the supporters in recent months. Despite never managing a club the same size as United, it is an exciting appointment, with Ten Hag considered as an up and coming coach with more to give, despite being north of 50.

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And with a deal edging closer and closer towards being completed, Ten Hag has been sent a congratulatory message by Feyenoord boss Slot, even though the deal has not yet been officially finalised. He believes the prospect of the Ajax chief taking charge at Old Trafford will be "special" for Dutch football coaches as a collective.

"If the reports are correct, it is absolutely worth congratulating," Slot told Voetball International. "It is very special that a Dutch trainer will soon be at the helm of such a large club.

"That is also a very good thing for the Dutch trainers' guild."

Ten Hag, who has been in charge at Ajax since December 2017, has overseen an excellent job in Amsterdam, building several great teams and raising the profile of a plethora of players, such as Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt to name just a few. He will