Man Utd close in on Erik ten Hag target after modest release clause emerges

Manchester United are close to adding Rene Hake to Erik ten Hag‘s coaching team as the club continue their preparations for the 2024/25 campaign.

The Red Devils finished a challenging season with a flourish by upsetting Manchester City in the FA Cup final and the club’s top brass have since decided to hand Ten Hag a new contract after weighing up their options over the last few weeks.

With the Dutchman on the verge of agreeing to fresh terms, focus has now shifted to freshening up his backroom team. Former United favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy has already been lined up for a role after snubbing the chance to become the new head coach of Burnley, but Hake is also on Ten Hag’s radar.

A new report from Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad has revealed that the Go Ahead Eagles head coach is available for a modest sum which is outlined as just ‘a few euros’. Hake has been in charge at the Eredivisie outfit since 2022.

Having led Go Ahead Eagles to their highest league finish in over 15 years last term, Hake’s stock is high and he was even touted as an option to replace Arne Slot at Feynoord after the Dutchman opted to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool earlier this summer.

Hake worked with Ten Hag at FC Twente in the academy before the latter moved on to Bayern Munich. He is understood to be keen on the idea of joining Ten Hag’s backroom team at Old Trafford despite the fact he is currently a No.1 in his own right.

And with Ten Hag and Manchester United now in the final stages of negotiations over an extended contract for the former Ajax chief, it’s anticipated that both Hake and Van Nistelrooy will follow suit by putting pen to paper shortly.

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Ten Hag has previously outlined that he and Hake have kept in touch since they ceased working together earlier in their careers. The Manchester United manager told Dutch outlet Voetbal International back in 2023: “After our common period at Twente, we have always kept in touch.

“We meet up and call each other. You talk about private matters, how things are going at home and with the children. But usually it is about football. (At Twente) he was incredibly driven, ambitious, but also extremely convinced of himself. A trainer who worked very methodically.”

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