In addition to these changes, Erik ten Hag is expected to sign a new contract with the club. This development comes after an end-of-season review by INEOS, the company owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which concluded that Ten Hag is the ideal person to lead Manchester United forward.
However, Ratcliffe and his team have identified the need for some adjustments to the coaching staff under Ten Hag’s leadership.
Currently, Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren are serving as co-assistant managers, while Benni McCarthy was brought on board as a forwards coach shortly after Ten Hag took over in 2022.
With the anticipated arrival of Van Nistelrooy and Hake, there are inevitable questions about the future roles of the existing coaches.
The Athletic has reported that Steve McClaren’s role will undergo some changes.
McClaren, who previously served as an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, has a strong rapport with Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ Director of Sport.
Additionally, it has been indicated that Benni McCarthy will depart from the club when his contract expires at the end of this month.
The situation surrounding Mitchell van der Gaag is particularly noteworthy. Van der Gaag, who joined Manchester United from Ajax along with Ten Hag, has a close working relationship with the head coach.
However, reports suggest that the introduction of new coaching staff members might prompt Van der Gaag to consider leaving the club.
This could be a strategic move for him, as he is known to harbor ambitions of managing a team independently.
Throughout the previous season, Van der Gaag has been linked to several managerial positions, indicating his desire to step into a head coaching role.
At 52 years old, Van der Gaag has been instrumental in shaping Manchester United’s coaching strategies, but the potential shake-up in the coaching lineup might be the opportunity he sees to pursue his ambitions of becoming a head coach elsewhere.
