Erik ten Hag arrives at the Lowry Hotel with five problems to fix during his first week at Manchester United.
The Dutchman has had an extremely busy start to life at Manchester United, both professionally and personally, and he still has a few major issues to address as soon as possible.
Erik ten Hag has been hard at work in his first week as Manchester United's new head coach.
The Dutchman was named Ralf Rangnick's permanent successor in April, and he got an early start in the role by canceling his contract with former club Ajax. However, he has only been able to work closely with his players - those who were not called up for international duty this summer - in the last week, having returned to Carrington training.
Ten Hag had his first training session on Monday and is now settling in at Manchester's famous Lowry Hotel, where he is staying. It is understood that his stay at the hotel Jose Mourinho called home during his tenure as manager is only temporary while he looks for a permanent residence.
He was seen arriving at his temporary residence on Wednesday, where he will have the opportunity to work through some of the stumbling blocks he has encountered during his first few days with the Red Devils.
1) Persuade De Jong to join.
Ten Hag will have had a number of transfer targets in mind before taking the job at Old Trafford. Frenkie de Jong was one of the names on his shortlist. A deal appears to be nearing completion, with the Red Devils agreeing to a fee with Barcelona for his signature.
It is now up to Ten Hag to persuade the midfielder to join United, and if he does, he will have finally secured the signing of one of his priority targets for the summer.
2) Accomplish the Malacia transfer.
While De Jong appears to be on his way to becoming a Red Devil sooner rather than later, he could be joined very soon by one of his international colleagues - Tyrell Malacia.
The young Dutchman appeared to be on his way to French club Lyon before United swooped in to steal the deal.
A fee has already been agreed upon with Feyenoord, so the only thing left is to close the deal, which Ten Hag will be eager to do this week. He has long admired the full-back and previously attempted to sign him for Ajax.
3) Choose your left-backs.
Malacia's arrival at Old Trafford raises serious concerns about the futures of a number of current players at the club. The defender adds to the club's current left-back options, which already include Luke Shaw and Alex Telles.
Ten Hag appears unlikely to be able to provide the trio with first-team football throughout the season. According to the Manchester Evening News, he does not consider Telles a first-team option, which could lead to his departure.
4) Plan your next move
With deals in place for De Jong and Malacia, Ten Hag will have successfully launched the club's summer business. It is not expected to end there, as a number of gaps must still be filled.
Christian Eriksen of Denmark has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, while Antony and Lisandro Martinez of Ajax are also being considered.
5) Exercise autonomy over youngsters.
It remains to be seen how many new faces will be welcomed to Old Trafford this summer, but some will be hoping not too many.
There are currently a slew of young players vying for first-team spots in the preseason, including James Garner, Hannibal Mejbri, Shola Shoretire, and Alvaro Fernandez.
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