Erik ten Hag’s gesture to Cristiano Ronaldo emerges after Man Utd confirm new boss

Erik ten Hag’s resignation from Ajax was announced with a video of the new Manchester United manager embracing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ten Hag’s hiring was confirmed by United on Thursday, when the Dutchman agreed to a three-year contract with a fourth-year option to become the club’s new manager. Ten Hag will finish the current season with the Amsterdam giants before joining the club in the summer, succeeding interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who will take on a consulting role.

Ajax also verified the news and appeared to express their condolences to the 52-year-old by posting footage on TikTok of the manager and Ronaldo during a Champions League quarter-final match between Juventus and Ajax in 2018/19.

As Ajax knocked Juve out of the competition with a 2-1 second-leg victory (3-2 on aggregate) in Turin, the Portugal star and Ten Hag embraced on the sidelines and shared a jovial talk.

With a handshake emoji between the two clubs’ names, Ajax captioned the video: “Ajax and Manchester United have agreed on Erik ten Hag’s transfer to the Premier League team. Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain, so it’s unclear whether he’ll team up with Ten Hag. After securing a dream return to Manchester last summer, the 37-year-old still has a year left on his current contract.

But things haven’t gone as planned, with United not only failing to fight for the Premier League title, but also risking missing out on a top-four finish. Ronaldo has stated his desire to play Champions League football, which might mean that his time at Old Trafford is limited.

Ten Hag is also planning major changes at the club, with as many as 12 players expected to go in a mass exodus, while the number of newcomers might be in the double digits. Ten Hag argues that being elected United’s new manager is a “honor,” saying: “It is a great honor to be named Manchester United manager, and I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“I am well-versed in the history of this great club as well as the passion of its supporters, and I am motivated to build a team capable of delivering the results they deserve. It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these amazing years, but I can tell our supporters that I will give everything I have to finish this season successfully before moving to Manchester United.”