Under-pressure Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is ‘top of the list’ to grow to be the following Ajax manager, talkSPORT has been told.
The Dutchman’s future at Old Trafford has been plunged into uncertainty by poor results this season, in addition to resulting from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority takeover of the club in December.
More doubt was solid on Ten Hag’s future on the weekend with Man United only managing a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Burnley, and the Red Devils can now now not finish in the highest 4 of the Premier League this season.
With Europa League or possibly Conference League football within the offing next season, change may come among the many Man United coaching staff.
But Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan suggested Ten Hag could jump before any potential push with the 54-year-old the favourite for the highest job on the Amsterdam ArenA.
“There’s a terrific escape route for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag,” Van der Kraan said on Trans Europe Express.
“Ajax have had a dreadful season – they’ve had three managers, they’ve sacked the technical director, Sven Mislintat, they’ve sacked the CEO and brought him back… they’ve sacked almost everyone they will consider and it has been really dire.
“The CEO, the massive man who was sacked only two weeks ago for suspected insider trading because he allegedly bought shares just before he was appointed is back on the scene as of on Friday afternoon.
“Alex Kroes, who began SEG (Sports Entertainment Group), take care of Erik ten Hag, they’ve done for a few years. This Alex Kroes is the brand new technical director of Ajax.
“Alex Kroes has got Erik ten Hag at the highest of his wanted list. He’s his man and can wait for him until the tip of this month because by June 1st they must appoint a manager or make a choice.
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“He’s prepared to attend one other month to see if Erik ten Hag will take the job on June 1st.
“Why until the tip of May? Because on May twenty fifth it is the FA Cup final [Manchester United vs Manchester City] and Ten Hag is not going to wish to be disturbed with that query.
“But he knows about it, he knows there’s an open door at Ajax and he might be the manager of Ajax next season and take a look at and win a title there again.”
Ajax have endured a dreadful season, which has seen them sack two managers, while current boss John van ‘t Ship is anticipated to go away upon the expiration of his contract at the tip of the campaign.
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They’re fifth within the Eredivisie, 35 points behind champions-elect PSV Eindhoven, which might mean they’d must compete in play-offs simply to qualify for next season’s Conference League.
The Kroes drama has added to the chaos off the pitch. The 49-year-old began work as CEO in March but was suspended just 19 days after starting the role after being found to have ‘likely engaged in insider trading’ prior to his appointment in August 2023 by buying 17,000 shares within the club.
Insider trading — the buying or selling of stocks based on privileged information — is a criminal offence and Kroes subsequently submitted all required information to the Netherlands’ Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) for scrutiny. He maintains that his actions don’t amount to criminality.
On April 14, following Ajax’s 6-0 hiding at Feyenoord, the club’s Members Board and ultras wrote to the Supervisory Board — who took the choice to suspend Kroes — asking them to reconsider their decision.
And it has since been announced that the Supervisory Board allowed Kroes to return to the club in the brand new role of ‘technical director’, on the understanding that he would ‘step down as CEO and chairman of the board.’
talkSPORT understands that Ten Hag and Man United players will suffer a pay cut for failing to qualify for the Champions League.
It’s still unlikely that Ajax would match the salary Ten Hag pockets at Man United, nonetheless, Van der Kraan believes money is not an object in Ten Hag’s managerial profession.
“If we remember why Ten Hag got here to Manchester United, money was never his motivation,” Van der Kraan added.
“Ten Hag comes from a family of millionaires, his father had an enormous, huge empire within the east of Holland. I do not think he’s ever needed to worry about money and I do not think one or two million kind of will make a difference for Erik.”
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Ten Hag joined Man United from Ajax in 2022 having won three league titles in five years with the Dutch giants.
He enjoyed a very good first season with Man United because the team won the Carabao Cup, reached the FA Cup final and qualified for the Champions League again.
Nevertheless, Man United finished bottom of their Champions League group, lost 3-0 to Newcastle within the Carabao Cup and have lost 12 of their 34 Premier League games this season.
