Erik ten Hag raids Ajax again to appoint new member of backroom staff

The Red Devils have already signed Lisandro Martinez from the Dutch giants this summer, with the Argentine completing a £47m move to Old Trafford last week.

Antony, the Ajax winger, is keen on a move to the Theatre of Dreams but the club have raised their valuation of the Brazilian to around £83m in a desperate bid to fend off interest from United.

Ten Hag took his number two from Ajax with him to Old Trafford as Mitchell van der Gaag opted to join his mentor in the Premier League.

And Ajax were powerless to stop Ten Hag making another key appointment to his backroom staff after he convinced Keij to join him in England.

The Dutchman was a performance analyst under Ten Hag at Ajax and he became a crucial part of the United boss’ set-up in Amsterdam.

Keij is just the latest appointment Ten Hag has made, with Benni McCarthy joining the backroom staff on Sunday.

The South African has joined to coach the squad’s attack and to develop patterns of play.

Explaining the appointment, Ten Hag says the former Blackburn ace can help United’s forwards with his experience.

‘There was still one place in our coaching staff that I wanted to fill,’ Ten Hag told MUTV.

‘Someone with a different voice and Benni is that one.

‘He has experience as a manager. He was a coach in the professional level and he was a former striker, a really successful striker as well.”

‘He will focus on the positioning and attacking,” said Ten Hag.

‘I’m not saying only the strikers, but also the integration from the full-backs and midfielders. Our way of play has to be dynamic.’

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