Star compared to Beckham, £59m-rated midfielder in - Man United line up next season

Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have pulled away from the Red Devils in recent years and the appointment of the Dutchman is hoped to be a transformative moment for the club.

The biggest task facing Ten Hag is the challenge of building a squad of players who are manageable and prepared to give their all for the club, rather than throwing their toys out of the pram when the mildest inconvenience comes their way.

As the summer transfer window beckons, United have been linked with a number of players as ten Hag looks to strengthen his squad.

The defence needs some work and left-footed Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres has been linked with a move to Old Trafford having been pursued by Tottenham last summer.

The Red Devils have also been linked with a move for striker Sebastien Haller.

The ex-West Ham striker has scored 33 goals in all competitions for Dutch giants Ajax, proving his credentials as a very capable attacker at the highest level.

Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is also a reported target, although his agent Mateja Kezman has denied talks have begun about a deal.

Another player who could join Man United is James Ward-Prowse, often compared to David Beckham for his set-piece taking ability.

The Southampton star has really showed his quality for the Saints this term with reports suggesting that the £75million-valued midfielder is attracting the interest of United and a host of other leading top flight clubs.

While some have cast doubt over whether the England star has what it takes to compete at the highest level, Darren Ambrose believes that Ward-Prowse is capable of playing for any side outside of the top three.

He told talkSPORT: "I've been a massive advocate of James Ward-Prowse, and I think he gets into any team.

"If you look at the Premier League table with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea as the top three, anybody below that he would get in the team as a starter and not make them worse, absolutely.

"The argument of what happens if you take the free-kicks out of it, you can't because that's a massive part of the game.

"Not many clubs have a set piece taker like him so you can't argue about what happens if you take that element out of his game."

He added: "When you've got a player like James Ward-Prowse, there's no one better as a deliverer of balls into the box and when you get a free-kick around the box, you think it's a goal. I think he's massively underrated."

So how would Ward Prowse, Milinkovic-Savic, Torres and Haller slot in to Man United's starting XI next term?

Torres would undoubtedly had crucial ball-playing credentials to United's back line and is more likely to replace under-fire Harry Maguire in the heart of the defence and play alongside Raphael Varane.

Paul Pogba looks certain to move on this summer, leaving a vacancy in the middle of the park, while Fred and Scott McTominay could also find themselves forced aside.

Given Ward Prowse's character and consistency at Premier League level, few would argue at his suitability to slot into a role in central midfield, with Milinkovic-Savic and Bruno Fernandes ahead of them.

Speculation has been building over Cristiano Ronaldo's future in recent weeks, with Real Madrid linked with a sensational swoop to bring the 37-year-old back to the Bernabeu.

Should that happen, 33-goal Haller could be the ideal candidate to lead United's attacking line as his pace, power and clear goal-scoring ability provides a genuine all-round threat.

How Manchester United could line up