Ten Hag hopes future is bright and ORANGE

UNITED have launched their new white third kit. A more appropriate colour would have been orange.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Erik ten Hag is not oblivious to the Dutchification of the Reds. "Believe it or not, his name (Matthijs de Ligt's) did not come from me in the process," he told AD last month.

Yet Ten Hag tried to sign De Ligt in his first summer at United. De Ligt ticks all of the boxes: born in the Netherlands, played for Ajax and played for Ten Hag As does Noussair Mazraoui the Morocco international was born in the Netherlands.

Bayern Munich board member Uli Hoeness wryly highlighted De Ligt's nationality. "De Ligt is Dutch, the coach at Manchester United is Dutch"

With De Ligt and Mazraoui, Ten Hag has an XI of United signings born, or who have played, in the Netherlands: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Malacia, Amrabat, Mount, Eriksen, Antony, Zirkzee, Weghorst. They could even operate in an Ajax 4-3-3 formation. Jonny Evans played in the Amsterdam Tournament as a teenager, too.

With a new co-chairman, a new chief executive, a new technical director and an inaugural sporting director, the Reds are having a more Dutch-centric summer than the previous two. It is a quizzical strategy. Leny Yoro, who ticked none of the Dutch-themed boxes, was clearly an Ineos-led recruit, one for the club rather than the manager. De Ligt and Mazraoui are signings for the manager rather than the club.