A three-year contract with an option for an extra year has been confirmed by Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag joining from Ajax.

Ten Hag, 52, will become the club's second Dutch manager after Louis van Gaal and the club's fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013. He will be the club's fifth permanent manager since Ferguson retired in 2013.

Ten Hag, the former Ajax coach, will formally take over as United's head coach at the conclusion of the current season. Ten Hag's contract with Ajax was set to expire next year, and United agreed to pay Ajax £1.7 million to release him from his contract.

Ten Hag said: "It is a great honor to be the manager of Manchester United, and I'm very excited about the challenge ahead of me." Because I am well-versed in the club's history and the fervor of its supporters, I am bound and determined to build a squad that can bring the success they deserve.

After these fantastic years, it will be painful for me to leave Ajax, but I can assure our supporters of my total devotion and attention on bringing this season to a good conclusion before I move to the Premier League with Manchester United.

Manchester United wishes Ajax's Erik the best of luck as he aims to finish the season on a high note and looks forward to welcoming him at Old Trafford this summer.

As soon as he was questioned by United on March 21, high-level sources told the Manchester Evening News that a deal for Ten Hag was "essentially done."

On March 17, the MEN was the first to report that Ten Hag was Manchester United's favorite candidate, and a source claimed that he had been their top choice for a 'long time'. Even as early as January, United was optimistic in their ability to sign Ten Hag.

It was revealed in early February that the majority of the Manchester United squad favored Mauricio Pochettino to be their next manager, but United defied a squad of serial underachievers widely considered to be the most spiritless United team in decades by winning their first game under the new manager.

In conducting the management process, Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher did not consult with or solicit input from any of the players. Ten Hag's nomination divided the United squad, with some feeling 'underwhelmed' by his candidacy while others were 'excited'.

Despite the fact that Ten Hag has not yet visited Manchester United's Carrington training complex, it is widely assumed that Rene Meulensteen, a former first-team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson, is in the running to join Ten Hag's backroom staff.

The only true candidates for the position of interim manager Ralf Rangnick were Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, despite reports that'multiple individuals' were being considered by the club.

The Manchester Evening News reported in January that United hoped to hire their new manager before the end of the current season, and they have now achieved that goal.

When United belatedly set up a battle plan ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's expected dismissal during the November international break, they listed Ten Hag, Luis Enrique, and Brendan Rodgers as potential options.

Ajax were defeated in the Dutch Cup final by PSV Eindhoven last week, but they remain four points clear at the top of the Eredivisie table. Their remaining fixtures include matches against NEC, PEC Zwolle, AZ Alkmaar, Heerenveen, and Vitesse Arnhem.