Manchester United have spoken to Ajax’s highly rated coach Erik ten Hag about their vacant manager’s job. Ralf Rangnick was employed on interim basis since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November.
It is being stressed at Old Trafford that it is too early to start talking about favourites for the job, but it is obvious that United are in search for a permanent replacement for Solskjaers.
Paris St-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is also on their managerial wishlist.
United are also monitoring the situation at Chelsea, although German manager Thomas Tuchel has given no indication about walking out on the Blues, despite their current situation with owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned and the club up for sale.
Dutchman Ten Hag, like Argentine Pochettino, has a contract till 2023. However, that is unlikely to prove an obstacle should United decide the Dutchman, 52, is the right man for the job. Haag who was a former coach with Bayern Munich’s second team, has been at Ajax since December 2017 and guided them to within a minute of reaching the Champions League final in 2019 before Lucas Moura’s famous goal for Tottenham. Ajax won the Dutch league title in 2019 and 2021 and are currently top of the table by two points from PSV Eindhoven.
Other managers who have been linked to the job at Old Trafford includes Spanish coach Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti currently in charge of Madrid, and Julen Lopetegui Sevilla’s coach
Whoever gets the United job faces a big summer, with Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata all out of contract.