Ten Hag in the next 48 hours
three days in London mapping out his strategy with United chief executive Richard Arnold and other senior staff at the club’s Mayfair offices.
And, after watching United’s final match of the season at Crystal Palace in a private box today, Ten Hag will travel up to Manchester for an official welcome ceremony at Old Trafford.
It is believed Steve McClaren – ex-England manager and Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant during United’s historic 1999 Treble-winning year – will also be presented as Ten Hag’s right-hand man.
The pair worked together in Holland after McClaren appointed him as a coach in 2012 at FC Twente.
Ten Hag, 52, is anxious to conclude his planning talks over the direction of the club so he can concentrate on analysing the current United players he believes can fit into his system.
Ten Hag knows he has a budget to stick to, with at least five or six new faces expected to arrive this summer.
And he is hoping to snap up Barcelona midfielder De Jong for a cut-price £60million as the cashstrapped Catalan giants desperately try to offload stars in a bid to sign
Robert Lewandowski.
Nou Camp boss Xavi accepts he will be forced to reluctantly part with one of his prize assets to land the Bayern goalmachine this summer.
And outgoing boss Ralf Rangnick has shouldered the blame for United’s failure this year.
“I’m more than selfcritical. I should have done better,” he said.
“I expected that me and my coaching staff could have developed this team in a more sustainable kind of way.
“We couldn’t and it’s not only the players who should be blamed, it should be ourselves.
“We all could and should have done better, but there are obvious reasons why it didn’t happen.”