Manchester United stars split over 'underwhelming' Erik ten Hag appointment

The appointment of Erik ten Hag has split the Manchester United dressing room, with some players said to be left ‘underwhelmed’ by the club’s plans to appoint the Dutchman.

The Ajax boss is the clear frontrunner to take charge at Old Trafford this summer, having impressed club officials during an interview last month.

Mauricio Pochettino is pushing the Dutchman but United are believed to favour Ten Hag for his attacking philosophy, vision and calmness.

The 52-year-old has built two formidable sides at Ajax, the first of which got to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 by beating the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid along the way.

Ten Hag then rebuilt the side following the sales of Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, and the side are on course to win the title again this season.

But the Manchester Evening News reports that the prospect of Ten Hag’s appointment has left some sections of the squad ‘underwhelmed’, as they felt the club would appoint a bigger name.

The likes of Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique have been linked to the role.

Some United players are genuinely excited by Ten Hag’s appointment, believing the Dutchman’s hands-on coaching could aid their game.

That there is a divide in the dressing room speaks to the fact that the club is fractured at this moment in time, with up to 11 players expected to depart at the end of the season.

Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard are all set to leave on free transfers, while Phil Jones, Dean Henderson, Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek and Eric Bailly are all available.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.