ERIK TEN HAG could be set for a sensational return to Ajax after the Dutch giants made him their top boss target.
The Manchester United boss, 54, is coming under increasing pressure at Old Trafford after a dismal second season at the helm.
His side sit sixth in the Premier League table and it is now mathematically impossible for them to get Champions League football next season.
United are into the final of the FA Cup where they will play Manchester City for a second successive season.
However, they spurned a three-goal lead to Championship outfit Coventry in the semi-final, before sparing further blushes by winning on penalties.
And just one win in six Premier League games has added further uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag’s future at the club.
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The Dutchman was booed by frustrated United fans during the 1-1 draw with 19th-placed Burnley at the weekend.
But Ten Hag’s stock remains high in his homeland – with Ajax waiting in the wings to bring him back.
Ten Hag enjoyed a superb four-and-a-half-year spell with the Eredivisie giants between 2017 and 2022.
He won three league titles, two Dutch Cups, and led them to the Champions League semi-finals before they were beaten on away goals by Tottenham in a remarkable tie.
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Pundits verdict on Ten Hag’s future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
But Ajax are aware Ten Hag would be reluctant to walk away from Man Utd, so they are reliant on him being sacked.
And there are fears in Amsterdam that Ten Hag may prefer a move to a more illustrious league, should he receive any offers.
Ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter and Nice head coach Francesco Farioli are among the other candidates being considered.
John van ‘t Schip has been placed in interim charge of Ajax until the end of the season – their fifth head coach since Ten Hag’s departure less than two years ago.
They missed out on Champions League qualification last season after finishing third in the Eredivisie.
But the 2023/24 campaign has been even worse with the club down in fifth, 35 points adrift of league leaders PSV.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
