Stuttgart’s head coach, Sebastian Hoeness, rejected an offer from Manchester United over the summer.
United’s leadership reviewed Ten Hag’s situation at Old Trafford during the offseason and considered replacing the Dutch manager before ultimately offering him a new deal.
Thomas Tuchel was reportedly one of the coaches approached by United before they decided to stick with Ten Hag.
According to Bild, Hoeness was also on United’s list of potential candidates, with the club reaching out to the 42-year-old in July regarding a move to the Premier League.
The report claims that Hoeness declined United’s approach, opting to remain at Stuttgart to build on the team’s strong performance from last season.
Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen, securing a spot in this season’s Champions League.
Hoeness had also signed a contract extension with Stuttgart before United’s inquiry, tying him to the club until 2027.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag is under growing pressure at United after the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season after seven matches.
Despite the team’s inconsistent performances, United’s leadership met in London last week and have decided that Ten Hag’s job is secure for now.
United’s next Premier League match is against Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday.
When asked about Ten Hag’s position this month, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: ‘I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.
‘But that team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June, July. They weren’t there in January, February, March or April – [CEO] Omar [Berrada], [sporting director] Dan Ashworth – they only arrived in July.
‘They’ve only been there… you can count it in weeks almost, they’ve not been there a long time so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions.
‘Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear. There’s work to be done.’
