Krishnan Sreekumar
Ajax Amsterdam boss Erik ten Hag ‘sounded out’ by intermediaries but no official approach made
According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have stepped up their new permanent manager search for the summer by sounding out Ajax Amsterdam manager Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman keen on speaking to the English side about a possible move.
United sacked Ole Gunnar Soskjaer earlier in the season after a string of poor results and roped in Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis to guide the club to a strong finish and qualify for the Champions League by the summer.
The German is scheduled to take up a consultancy role at Old Trafford after his tenure expires at the end of the season, opening up the vacancy for a new permanent manager. ten Hag has been touted to be a strong candidate for the job, although the Red Devils have not made any official contact with Ajax over a potential move.
The 52-year-old has won two Eredivisie titles with Ajax during his time in the Netherlands and is on course to win a third title this term, as the club are currently leading the league table by two points. Clearly, the Ajax man has pedigree when it comes to winning silverware.
Good connections at Ajax
ten Hag sees his current contract with the Dutch champions expire at the end of next season, which could possibly make it easier for United to convince Ajax to part with him. However, for the time being, the head coach is focused on his job as he aims to make it a hat-trick of titles in the league.
United are hoping to take advantage of the fact that they have a good relationship with Ajax, as Red Devils legend and ex-goalie Edwin van der Sar is the chief executive at the Dutch table toppers.
Despite not making an official move for the Ajax boss, United seem to be taking the first steps in appointing him as their new permanent manager in the summer after being impressed with his work in Holland.
At Ajax, the Dutchman has led the team to titles while developing young talent and integrating them into the first team. One need not look any further than Donny van de Beek, who earned a move to England after performing brilliantly under ten Hag.
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Back in November, Sky Sports claimed that incumbent Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino was the favourite to take over at the Theatre of Dreams next season, but from the latest news, it seems like ten Hag has the advantage in landing the job.
Both of them are elite managers with a penchant for playing good football and developing young talent. However, the Ajax boss’ CV is certainly more stacked than his counterpart, which could be why United are making unofficial moves for him.
