According to reports, Erik ten Hag has privately admitted that he is ready to leave Ajax and take on a new challenge after conversations with Manchester United. The 52-year-old is in line to succeed Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season. Mauricio Pochettino and Julen Lopetegui, on the other hand, cannot be ruled out at this time.
Manchester United is hoping to appoint their new manager before the conclusion of the season, with Rangnick not being considered to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a permanent basis.
The Red Devils know they have a busy summer ahead of them as they look to improve on their poor Premier League performance this season.
They will once again have no trophy to show for their efforts, as their chances of winning the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup have all passed them by.
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At the present, all indicators point to United employing Ten Hag after it was revealed that the 52-year-old had an interview with John Murtough and other members of their administration.
And the Red Devils have gained a lift as a result of remarks made by Dutch writer Geert Langendorff.
In an interview with the Stretford Paddock, he said that Ten Hag has already informed ‘colleagues of mine’ that he is ready to depart and accept a new challenge.’
That bodes well for Manchester United, who appear to have no trouble persuading him to leave Amsterdam.
Ten Hag would bring possession-based football to United after learning a lot from Pep Guardiola during their time together at Bayern Munich.
He could also blood youth, with young stars like Anthony Elanga, Hannibal Mejbri, and Shola Shoretire all vying for a first-team position.
However, United isn’t the only team interested in hiring Ten Hag.
Two other European powerhouses have expressed interest in the Dutchman, who has been at Ajax since December 2017.
Real Madrid might be one of them, with Carlo Ancelotti’s future unknown.
While Los Blancos are on set to win La Liga, failure to win the Champions League could result in the Italian’s dismissal.
Real have a history of firing big-name managers when they fail to win that competition, and their current manager, Florentino Perez, is a trigger-happy type.
PSG is another team that could be interested in hiring Ten Hag.
It’s been another disappointing season for the Ligue 1 heavyweights, who are already out of the Champions League despite having Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi at their disposal.
Pochettino, the manager of PSG, has been connected with the job at United as well as the one at Real Madrid.
And if the Argentine is forced to leave the Parc des Princes as a result of their European loss, Ten Hag would be an excellent choice to take over.
When it comes to naming United’s next manager, Joel Glazer will have the final word.
While Murtaugh and Darren Fletcher are leading the charge in terms of identifying their future manager, the Red Devils’ owner is the one who approves managerial selections.
Only time will tell whether Ten Hag satisfies Glazer’s standards for the post.
Meanwhile, Dutch football analyst Marcel van der Kraan believes United may need to persuade Ten Hag to take charge.
This is due to the disastrous tenures of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“If Manchester United want to get things rolling, they’ll have to hurry up and make things solid,” Van der Kraan told Sky Sports.
“They’ll have to offer him a contract because there’s a serious possibility it’ll be too late for him.”
“For Ten Hag, the graveyard Manchester United has been for managers may be a consideration.”
“Not everything has gone right for United throughout his career, as Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed and had their reputations harmed.”
“United needs to be more compelling.”
