Erik ten Hag was reportedly the leading candidate to become Manchester United’s new permanent manager before RB Leipzig arrived at the scene.
Although reports in Germany have stated the Bundelsiga side are very satisfied with their current coach, Domenico Tedesco, the Dutch press continue to insist Leipzig have made an offer to the Ajax boss.
Journalist Valentine Driessen, writing in his column for De Telegraaf, claims the 52-year-old has ‘official written offer from the English and German club in his possession’.
While the Red Devils and Leipzig have presented concrete offers, the Dutch club received signals from their manager that he is ‘seriously interested in building a new Ajax for the third time’.
Ten Hag’s contract expires in 2023 and his employer are not ready to propose a new offer. In addition to this, his views, for example regarding players signings and sales, are ‘not on the table’.
The journalist states the Dutchman gets a feeling that Ajax are ‘not interested in putting everything aside to keep him in the Johan Cruijff ArenA longer’. This would indicate the Amsterdam club are preparing for a life without their current manager next season.
With Manchester United and Leipzig in the picture, Driessen adds the opportunity to manage at Old Trafford is ‘more attractive than the German temptation’, even though the latter are tailor-made for Ten Hag.
According to Driessen, Ten Hag is of the belief he can bring ‘this sleeping giant [United] back to life with his qualities’.
United have emerged as a ‘true trainer graveyard’ after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, but ‘will not be an obstacle’ for the current Ajax coach. It is ‘rather an incentive’, provided he is given at least one season and has a huge say in squad building.
The journalist explains Ten Hag hopes to ‘enter into a partnership’ with Ralf Rangnick at United, as he had with Marc Overmars in the Netherlands.
He further states: ‘Someone will have to act as an impenetrable shell in Manchester between Ten Hag, players and staff on one side and everything else outside.’
‘If this succeeds, only then will an English adventure of the tukker have a chance of success. Otherwise, the risk of failure is so great that he will never again be eligible for the trainer job at his ultimate dream club, Bayern Munich.’
‘By plan, Ajax and RB Leipzig are better vehicles to end up in Munich in the long run. It is true that in top football there is little or nothing to plan; Ten Hag should keep Bayern in mind when making a final decision to choose between Amsterdam, Manchester and Leipzig.’
