Manchester United are listening to Jurgen Klopp's Erik ten Hag advice

After months of endless speculation, the train carrying Manchester United's search for a new manager is now emerging from the darkness of a seemingly never-ending tunnel and into the sunlight.

Erik ten Hag is edging closer and closer towards concluding United's pursuit of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor and it is now understood to be a matter of when, rather than if, he will be announced as the club's new boss. The Ajax chief was sounded out as the club's preferred candidate last month and it would now take a dramatic turn of events to stop him from overseeing the next chapter in United's history.

Despite having never managed a club of United's size, or handling a group of players with such big reputations and egos, Ten Hag has earned the opportunity to have a crack at the role. He has put Ajax back on the map in recent years and his reputation as a manager has significantly developed during his more than four-year tenure.

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Whilst Ajax's run to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019 will be recognised as Ten Hag's headline act during his tenure in Amsterdam, the work he has done in building several competitive and exciting squads should also be applauded. The class of 2019, following the dramatic defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, was almost immediately torn apart because of their success, meaning Ten Hag faced the challenge of a fresh rebuild.

It was a challenge he passed with flying colours. Despite losing the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong that summer, and Hakim Ziyech and Donny van de Beek the following year, Ten Hag responded by remaining calm and continuing to follow Ajax's strict philosophy of