JUST NOW: Good start for Erik ten Hag as he books meetings with every Man Utd player to assess transfers and captaincy
Erik ten Hag will meet with his new Manchester United players one-on-one to make a head start on the massive overhaul he confronts.
Ten Hag does not officially take over at United until June, but the Ajax manager has already assessed the group he will inherit and is eager to get to know them as soon as possible. Over the next three weeks, the 52-year-old Dutchman intends to arrange individual Zoom sessions with every member of United’s squad, including those who are out of contract.
When Ten Hag arrives in Manchester, he wants to hit the ground running and become better familiar with the group, allowing him to make quick choices on which players to keep and who to let go. Some United players believe Ten Hag will use the interviews to determine who is most suited to captain his team, with current captain Harry Maguire not guaranteed to retain the armband.
“Erik is precise in his planning,” a United source stated. He wants to know where everyone is with their mentality and situation at the club, and he has stated that he wants to address their futures in terms of who wants to stay and who wants to leave. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to discuss any challenges or problems in private before he arrives, so he can get a jump start on the summer.”
Paul Pogba, United’s £89 million club-record signings, is out of contract at the end of the season and is expected to leave this summer. Pogba is claimed to have informed his Manchester United teammates that he is on his way, and he is also said to have abandoned the squad’s WhatsApp player group.
The World Cup winner from France has played his final game for United, and he will miss the rest of the season due to injury. Pogba, who joined United from Juventus in 2016, has had free-agent offers from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
