After the upcoming international break, Manchester United are expected to ramp up their hunt for their next permanent manager, with Erik ten Hag presently leading the race to take over the club.

Because of the World Cup, the 2022-23 season begins sooner than usual on August 6, and Manchester United intends to appoint a new manager before the end of the season. If Ten Hag is offered the post before the end of the season, he won't want to waste any time in finding potential candidates for the role.

United are impressed with the way Ten Hag has put together two successful squads either side of the sales of Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong in the coming season. Because of the success he has had at Ajax since joining the club in December 2017, there is also a sense that the 52-year-old might be a genuine long-term success at Old Trafford.

Another important factor in Ten Hag's favor is that he is a perfect fit for the type of manager that Ralf Rangnick would like to see at the club, with the Dutchman being another coach who places an emphasis on pressing, aggression when the ball is not in possession, and a flexible style of play that can change depending on the circumstances of the game. The over-analyzation of formations has also been downplayed by Ten Hag, who believes that the success of any team is determined by how they adapt in a game to changing conditions.

"It's not even about systems," he has previously stated. In possession, when you lose possession, and when you have the opportunity to make a comeback, it's about what you do. And you need to be able to switch things up on the fly. "How you play is determined on the qualities of the players."

Despite the fact that the exact configuration is not particularly crucial to Ten Hag, individual player responsibilities unquestionably are. If he were to succeed Louis van Gaal at Manchester United, he would need to fix his Ajax side's ability to build play from the back. Having a midfielder who can drop deep when the ball is in possession and receive the ball from the two centre-backs before advancing play forward and distributing it further up the pitch is very important.

Edson Alvarez, a Mexican international who plays for Ajax, is now in this position. He selflessly drops back to get engaged in play before recycling the ball as a platform for numerous attacks. To keep the two central defenders safe, it's critical to be able to intercept passes and be an excellent passer.

The addition of a player of this caliber to the squad this summer would not only be critical in terms of executing the desired style of play under Ten Hag, but it would also be a critical component in helping to pull the most out of the club's defenders, ensuring that their frailties are not so easily exposed as they now are. Of the players already in the United senior squad, Nemanja Matic is the only one who is capable of filling this function. However, due to his lack of mobility and veteran status, he cannot be depended upon to monopolise the role in the manner that is required

James Garner has excelled this season on loan at Nottingham Forest

Scott McTominay clearly possesses the aggression and fitness necessary to play in the deeper position, but if he is to make the position his own, he will need to significantly improve his distributing skills. The prospect of James Garner playing regularly in the Premier League is definitely intriguing for next season, but it would be unrealistic to expect a 21-year-old to be able to do so despite his excellent showing for Nottingham Forest this season.

Instead, the best answer would be to bring in a new defensive midfielder in the summer and retain Garner on the bench for cup events as a rotational option. Prior to the next transfer window, United sources have already confessed that getting a new midfielder is their "greatest difficulty," and the mounting interest in Ten Hag will further exacerbate that dilemma.

Declan Rice is highly sought after and has shown an interest in joining Manchester United. However, because his contract with West Ham expires in 2024, the Hammers may be able to prevent Rice from joining United until the following year. When victory in the Europa League leads to qualification for the Champions League next season, their position may be even stronger....

For Manchester United, it is very clear what their top goal is this summer, and the prompt hiring of their next manager will be critical in determining who that manager should be.