Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is set to leave the Amsterdam club after this season and can join Manchester United, if the Red Devils make an approach for him.
That’s according to De Telegraaf journalist Mike Verweij and he made these claims while speaking to NH Sport, relayed by Voetbal Primeur.
Ralf Rangnick is in charge at Old Trafford, but he was appointed as interim boss until the end of this season. The Premier League side must bring in a permanent manager and various reports have pushed the Dutchman forward for the job.
Verweij is of the belief the 52-year-old will not continue with the Eredivisie side after this season and provides an argument to back his claims up.
“Whether Ten Hag will stay? No, I don’t think so. I thought that the Ajax leadership would like to keep him to his contract, because Marc Overmars has already left,” the journalist said.
“However, at the press conference he indicated that he was not aware in the choice for [appoint] Klaas-Jan Huntelaar [to the technical staff]. Then you can draw the conclusion Ten Hag is not very decisive in next season’s policy, otherwise you have a say in who you work with.”
According to Verweij, Ten Hag had an agreement with Marc Overmars to leave the club if he were to receive a tempting offer. The latter was shown the exit door and the journalist says that agreement would be valued by Ajax chief Edwin van der Sar.
“I think Van der Sar will respect that agreement. If a club like Manchester United comes, I think that as a Dutch trainer you want to go that way,” he added.
“I don’t think so [Ten Hag’s entire backroom staff will leave]. I heard that [assistant] Mitchell van der Gaag is nominated to go.”
After getting knocked out of the Champions League by Benfica earlier this week, Ajax will face Feyenoord in the league on Sunday. In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Ten Hag was quizzed about the Manchester United links.
“I am now working with Ajax. That’s what I’m fully concentrating on now,” Ten Hag said, as quoted by RTL Nieuws.
“But as a manager I am already working on our team for the future. I am also mainly focusing on the present. The road in the Champions League is closed after our defeat against Benfica. But there are still two roads completely open.”
