New Delhi: Erik ten Hag will leave Ajax to become the manager of Manchester United next season, the English Premier League football club anounced on Thursday. He will be on contract till June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year.
Ten Hag, 52, will become United's fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He will oversee an overhaul of the Manchester United squad when he arrives at Old Trafford, reports said.
"It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead. I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve," Erik ten Hag said following the appointment.
"It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United," he further said.
Erik ten Hag has spent more than four years as head coach of Ajax, winning the Dutch league and cup double in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Erik ten Hag will be Manchester United's first permanent manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjær left in November. Ralf Rangnick was then appointed as interim manager.
United's initial five-man shortlist also included Spain coach Luis Enrique, Sevilla's Julen Lopetegui, Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel and Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino.
In a statement, the club's football director John Murtough said, "During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team's attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth."