Manchester United transfer news LIVE Erik ten Hag updates plus Ronaldo and Varane latest

Manchester United appear to be closing in on appointing Erik ten Hag as their next manager.

MEN Sport understands that United have settled on Ten Hag rather than Mauricio Pochettino as their ideal candidate to take over the reins from Ralf Rangnick in the summer. He has already been interviewed for the role and Ajax expect the 52-year-old to make the switch.

The Athletic reported on Tuesday night that United have reached a verbal agreement with Ten Hag to be their next manager on a four-year contract. A deal still needs to be agreed with Ajax, though there aren't expected to be any stumbling blocks.

Meanwhile, United will today continue their preparations for their next Premier League fixture against Norwich City on Saturday. Anything short of a win would be another terrible blow to their quickly fading Champions League hopes.

Stay tuned for all the day's United news.

As we enter that period of the season where football supporters analyse the league tables just that little bit closer than usual, Manchester United's supporters are longing for the season to reach its conclusion.

The 2021/22 campaign is not going to be one that any United supporter looks back on with fondness, even if they somehow pull together a shock winning run together to sneak into the top-four. It is not likely to be a campaign that is remembered by Raphael Varane either.

Signed from Real Madrid last summer, Varane — who made a rockstar's entrance ahead of United's 5-1 hammering of Leeds on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford in August — has made just 25 appearances in all competitions this season. That means has missed a third of their fixtures. It has been far from the debut season in England that the Frenchman would have dreamt of.

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