Manchester United want to add Rene Hake, the manager of Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles, to Erik ten Hag’s back-room staff.
United are hoping to bring in Hake, 52, as well as Ruud van Nistelrooy as senior coaches in a move that will raise questions over the futures of Ten Hag’s current assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren.
Hake has a similar background to Ten Hag having been brought up in the east of Holland. He went into management at Ten Hag’s first club as a player, FC Twente, and the two men have also coached Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles.
Hake led the Deventer-based club into Europe for only the third time in their history – and the first time in nine years – when they beat Utrecht in extra-time of a Europa Conference Play-off last month.
Hake and Van Nistelrooy have been lined up as part of an overhaul of the United coaching staff after Ten Hag kept his job following an end-of-season review.
Erik ten Hag (pictured) is reportedly set to recruit two new faces to his Man United backroom staff
Go Ahead Eagles manager Rene Hake (pictured) is reportedly lined up to join the Dutchman at United
The 54-year-old United boss is currently in talks over a new contract as his current deal enters its final year. Discussions are said to be ‘positive’ and it’s hoped the two sides can agree terms before Ten Hag returns for pre-season early next month.
The situation regarding Van der Gaag and McClaren is less clear, however. Both coaches joined United when Ten Hag moved from Ajax in the summer of 2022, but could fall victim to the round of changes being made by new co-owners Ineos.
Forwards coach Benni McCarthy will be out of contract at the end of the week and is also in the dark over his future.
Ruud van Nistelrooy could seal a sensational return to Manchester United as a coach
In theory, United were one coach down after Eric Ramsay left to take charge of Minnesota in February, although technical director Darren Fletcher helped to fill the gap in the remaining months of the season.
Fletcher’s role is still unclear after Jason Wilcox was appointed as the new technical director by INEOS.
