Man Utd could already have Ten Hag replacement, claims Fergie assistant

Erik ten Hag may have already hired his own successor at Manchester United this summer, according to one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistants.

United are looking to keep the faith with their current boss despite a difficult season and have looked to back him by allowing him to bring in more of his own staff, including ex-Red Devils striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Van Nistelrooy had been linked with the manager’s job at Burnley but opted to join Ten Hag’s coaching staff – a decision that surprised Rene Muelensteen, who worked with the former Dutch international while at United between 2001 and 2013.

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“I thought he may have gone to manage in Spain and then the Burnley rumours came up, I thought he would’ve continued as a manager so I was surprised when he joined United because I can see Ruud as a manager,” Meulensteen told Gambling Zone.

“I think he’s had a taste of it and I think he wants more of it. Why has he chosen to go with Erik ten Hag? Probably the fact that there’s a chance for him to go back to Manchester United where he had some fantastic years and great memories.

“He will be a good influence and a strong influence in the dressing room. People will respect him and I think he’s got a lot to teach all those young forwards.”

Could Van Nistelrooy replace Ten Hag as Man Utd manager?

Ten Hag spent large portions of last season as the bookies’ favourite to be sacked but he ended up penning a new two-year contract in July after winning the FA Cup.

With his previous contract set to expire next summer, the one-year extension implies that there are still doubts over Ten Hag’s long-term future at Old Trafford and a change could yet be made if United’s struggles continue in the upcoming campaign.

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Part of United’s reluctance to part ways with Ten Hag was due to the lack of an obvious replacement, having held talks with the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Kieran McKenna at the end of last season.

But, despite only one year of top flight experience as PSV manager in the 2022/23 season, the presence of a fan favourite in Van Nistelrooy could give United some confidence if they were to sack Ten Hag in the near future.