The Manchester United full time manager search is now officially underway. Who says international breaks are always boring? According to multiple sources, United are interviewing several candidates for the role of manager at United, with Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag leading the way. Ten Hag is definitely a fan favorite, and details of his interview have started to leak out now. For now, he may be the front-runner.
Paris Saint-Germain Manager Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, Spain head coach Luis Enrique and Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui are also on the shortlist to replace Interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who is reportedly set to move into a consultancy role at the end of the season. Rangnick replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was fired in November, after taking the gig in early 2019.
According to Sky Sports, via their content partner NBC Sports:
“Manchester United held ‘positive’ talks with Erik ten Hag on Monday – with the club hierarchy thought to be impressed by his vision and philosophy…
“Ten Hag has a contract at Ajax that runs until the summer of 2023, but United’s good relationship with the Dutch club – former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is chief executive – allowed them to speak to him.
“The club want to make a decision on their next permanent manager as soon as possible. However, they have not put a formal deadline on the process, which is being led by Darren Fletcher and John Murtough.”
Pochettino is expected to be available at the end of the season, now that PSG has once again fallen short of their ultimate goal- winning the UEFA Champions League.
United had been interested in Poch previously, and perhaps the right time to hire him might have been when they went with Solskjaer. Today however, enthusiasm for hiring the Argentine has cooled. Ajax, 52, a very accomplished manager in the Dutch Eredivisie, might be the correct choice right now.
According to ESPN, Ajax “would not command a significant fee for Ten Hag due to the club’s long-established model of allowing players and coaches to leave for a new challenge elsewhere.”
United, who have nothing left to play for this season other than a top four finish, are next in action against Leicester City on April 2.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.