Erik ten Hag makes offer to Robin van Persie after picking Mitchell van der Gaag as his Manchester United assistant

Ten Hag, 52, is expected to take over as manager at Old Trafford in the summer, with talks between the club’s board and the Ajax head coach thought to be advanced.

According to The Mirror, Ten Hag has already agreed to bring Van der Gaag to United as his assistant, putting an end to any preparations for Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant Steve McClaren to return.

Van der Gaag, who spent two seasons with Ajax’s reserves before being promoted last summer, is currently Ten Hag’s assistant.

Van Persie, on the other hand, has an offer from Ten Hag to join his backroom team at United.

Van Persie is said to be indecisive about the offer, with his familial ties in Holland weighing heavily on his mind.

Ten Hag, who will be managing in a league known for its hard schedule and competition, is drawn to Van Persie’s knowledge of United and English football in general.

Van Persie spent the majority of his career in England, including eight years with Arsenal when Arsene Wenger brought him to the country in 2004.

Sir Alex Ferguson signed the 38-year-old in the summer of 2012, and he immediately led United to the Premier League title in 2013, scoring 26 league goals.

Despite a strong goalscoring record, Van Persie’s success in Manchester was short-lived due to Ferguson’s retirement the next year.

He had 58 goals in 105 games before he left in 2015, and he will be remembered for nearly single-handedly delivering the trophy in Ferguson’s final season.

Wayne Rooney, Van Persie’s old striking partner, backed his comeback last month, calling him a “wonderful character.”

After a three-year stay at Fenerbahce, Van Persie returned to Feyenoord in 2018 to finish his career.

He has been teaching with the Dutch club in a variety of roles since retiring in 2019.