Erik Ten Hag has dropped a hint he may be ready to take a job abroad at the end of the season.
The Ajax boss is one of Europe’s most in demand managers after an outstanding start to the campaign in the Eredivisie and the Champions League.
The Mail had reported how Ten Hag had pledged his immediate future to Ajax in the face of interest from United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came under pressure.
Ralf Rangnick was brought in as interim boss until the end of the season, and the door remains open for Ten Hag to make the switch next summer.
Ten Hag drops a hint
What Erik Ten Hag wants, Erik Ten Hag will probably get. If he is content staying at Ajax, then nobody can force him to quit. But his own ambition is likely to push him towards new opportunities.
AD.nl report Ten Hag has expressed a desire to manage abroad.
Ten Hag said: “I think I am ready for that. Let me put it this way: I would like to take on that challenge, but I am not chasing it. If the step never comes, I will not say that my coaching career has failed. But I do think that I now have sufficient competencies to take on that challenge.”
When it comes to the United job, Ten Hag likely be willing to at least have a conversation, and the stability Ralf Rangnick hopes to bring, could make the job more attractive.
Ten Hag is one of several options United could consider as Rangnick’s successor, along with PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino.
While Ten Hag does not have Premier League experience, he is proving his managerial qualities in the Champions League this season, with Ajax topping a group with Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, and Besiktas, with a 100 per cent record through five games.
Ten Hag has a clear football philosophy through attacking football and a strong defence, a devotion to bringing through academy players, and has shown an ability to rebuild teams.
There are question marks over every candidate, but he is arguably the most exciting option for United. His comments are a major boost that a deal could happen at the end of the season.
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