United now making all the right moves

ERIK ten Hag dined with Christopher Vivell at his favourite Hale haunt, La Famiglia, on Wednesday evening.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Vivell's addition to the Manchester United structure has not even been confirmed by the club and was instead leaked by a staff member to an unofficial spokesperson. Vivell, 36, is only a short-term appointment.

Ten Hag, whose wife returned to the Netherlands earlier this month, has dined with Vivell and new coaches Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake. The United manager reiterated in Trondheim on Monday he has to build a relationship with the inaugural sporting director Dan Ashworth, having said similarly about technical director Jason Wilcox towards the end of last season. New chief executive Omar Berrada was in Norway, too.

This week is maybe the last that United's senior staff have time to break bread together in the transfer window.

United fly to Los Angeles next Wednesday and return the week of the Community Shield against Manchester City.

Ten Hag left the restaurant at 10pm. A celebratory glass of wine was perhaps in order, with Leny Yoro bound en route in a deal that could rise to EUR70million.

Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee offset the loss of Raphael Varane and departure of Anthony Martial, the latter admittedly forgettable until United checked the money they were haemorrhaging on his salary.

That's two voids filled.

Others will have to be created.