Ralf Rangnick 'holds two-hour phone call' with Erik ten Hag after Man Utd exit

Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag spent two hours talking about the state of the Manchester United squad as power changed hands at Old Trafford, according to reports.

Rangnick, 63, spent half a year as United interim manager after replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer midway through an underwhelming season. He was expected to begin a two-year spell as a consultant for the club this summer, once Ten Hag, 52, arrived to replace him in the dugout.

However, the Red Devils confirmed on Sunday that Rangnick will not be taking up this post and will instead "focus solely on his new role as manager of the Austria national team". While this ended his brief association with Ten Hag, the German took the time to have a lengthy phone call with the Dutchman.

That is according to the Daily Telegraph, which claims the two managers spoke about the condition of the squad Ten Hag has inherited, which finished sixth in the Premier League last season. The talks are said to have occurred after Rangnick returned to Germany and his permanent replacement travelled back to Amsterdam following the 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on the final day of the campaign.

There was certainly much to be discussed as Ten Hag is faced with a significant rebuilding job during the summer transfer window. United's defence faced significant scrutiny during a leaky season, they are set to lose a number of midfielders - including Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata - and there is also uncertainty regarding a number of attackers.

Rangnick's experience as a sporting director could have been valuable in navigating the transfer market and identifying players to take the club forwards. However, United chiefs felt he would struggle to dedicate the required six days per month to his consultancy role as was originally stipulated.

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Rangnick will manage Austria for his first match on Friday as they travel to Croatia in the Nations League. They are also due to face Denmark twice and World Cup-holders France over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag and his backroom team must get to work trimming and adding to the United squad if they are to improve on a tepid season and secure a return to the Champions League. A number of exciting forwards are linked with a move to Old Trafford including Benfica's Darwin Nunez and RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku.

In defence, Villarreal's Pau Torres is back on the radar while an audacious swoop for Chelsea's N'Golo Kante has also been touted.