Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag believes former interim boss Ralf Rangnick was "absolutely right" about his assessment of the club during his time in charge.

Ten Hag was appointed as Rangnick's successor in 2022, with the German spending seven months in charge at Old Trafford. 

Rangnick, who led Austria to the last 16 at Euro 2024, finished in sixth with 58 points, United's worst points-total record in their Premier League history.

Ahead of the Dutchman's arrival at the club, Rangnick said Ten Hag must perform an "open-heart operation" rather than fixing "minor cosmetic things". 

Ten Hag has since won 68 of his 114 games in charge, winning two trophies in his first two seasons at the helm, which included a 13th FA Cup back in May. 

United lost a record 14 games last season, with Ten Hag making reference to Rangnick's comments he made two years ago. 

"Rangnick was absolutely right," Ten Hag said in an interview with Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld.

"We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation.

"And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job."

Ahead of the new season, United have undergone major changes off the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club last December.

Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell have all joined in positions at board level this year, while the club have committed £50m to improving the training ground.

United have also confirmed the arrivals of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro in recent weeks, something Ten Hag has praised the new ownership structure for. 

“It is very good that we are also there on the front foot, we are very proactive," said Ten Hag. 

"So, (the) leadership is doing a great job in this moment and that’s how we want to act as United."

"We are highly ambitious and you have to be on the front foot and be ready for the season.

"The earlier you get your players in then (the faster) you can work on your team."

Ten Hag is expected to return to the transfer market to bolster his squad, confirming his interest in Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt. 

"It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come," said Ten Hag.

"Of course I know Matthijs well, I'm not going to deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago, but he had already gone a long way with Bayern Munich."

The defence remains a key focus for Ten Hag, having seen his side ship 58 goals last season - the most they have conceded in the Premier League.