Erik ten Hag is ready to take the reins at Manchester United and also has plans to keep interim manager Ralf Rangnick in his dugout, according to reports.
United are intensifying their pursuit of a new manger to take over from Rangnick in the summer with Ajax head coach Ten Hag and PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino among the frontrunners.
According to The Mirror, Ten Hag is now ready to walk away from Ajax and test himself against the world’s best managers in England.
The 52-year-old has been with the Eredivisie team since 2017 but has grown frustrated at Ajax’s constant turnover of players given their desire to sell top talent once a huge offer is made.
As things stand, Rangnick will move into a consultancy role at Old Trafford in the summer but Ten Hag could be keen to keep the former RB Leipzig manager in the dugout for his tactical expertise.
The Dutchman, who previously worked closely with Ajax’s technical director Marc Overmars before he was forced to step down, already has huge support from those at the theatre of dreams.
Rangnick, who could also have a say on his successor, is believed to be a big fan of Ten Hag’s work to date.
Discussing the importance of having someone upstairs sat in the dugout on match days, Ten Hag had previously said: ‘Ideally, I wanted Marc on the bench. I don’t have to think twice about that.
‘I started to believe in that construction when I was working in Germany. ‘My education as a manager in top level football I had at Bayern Munich. There is hardly a better education for a coach or a manager.
‘I love the German model. In Germany it is a common thing that sporting directors sit right next to you on the bench there.
‘If you have a good sporting director, you know he takes a lot of the noise away around the manager – both internally and to the outside world.
‘He will back you up and will also take away all the hassle with football agents. That way I can fully concentrate on the team and the development of the players.
‘I can only see the advantages of a sporting director close to you on the bench. I want a sporting director who can be honest and straight.
‘If something is not right, you know quickly and can be told to your face because you work with each other every day.’
