Mitchel van der Gaag’s stance on Man United adding Van Nistelrooy & Hake to Erik ten Hag’s staff

Manchester United are set to add Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake to Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff for next season.

The United boss is also expected to sign a new contract at Old Trafford, with an agreement reportedly close, after INEOS‘ end-of-season review concluded that he was the best man to move forwards with.

However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team clearly wanted Ten Hag’s backroom staff to be adjusted.

Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren have been acting as co-assistant managers, while Benni McCarthy was added as a forward’s coach shortly after the Dutchman took over in 2022.

Now, after Fabrizio Romano claimed that both Van Nistelrooy and Hake are expected to join the club, there are questions over the future of various current coaches.

The Athletic have reported that Steve McClaren’s role would be modified. Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant has a good relationship with Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ Director of Sport.

It was also explained that McCarthy will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Mitchell van der Gaag’s position has seemed more interesting, considering he joined Ten Hag from Ajax and is very close to the United boss.

The aforementioned report has detailed that the prospective appointments in the coaching staff would lead to the prospect of Van der Gaag leaving the club, and it is felt that he could see now as the right time to step away.

The 52-year-old has been pivotal to the club’s coaching programme, but the report adds that he has ambitions to manage himself again. He was linked to several roles throughout the previous campaign.

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