Dutch football expert says Old Trafford side face strong competition for Ten Hag
Marcel van der Kraan, an expert in Dutch football, has said that Erik ten Hag will need some convincing to join Manchester United as two other major European clubs are also looking to acquire his services.
Erik ten Hag bikes during downtime whilst in Portugal with AjaxEarlier in the week, the Old Trafford club spoke to the Ajax manager, as they are looking for a permanent replacement for interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who will leave his post at the end of the season.
Ten Hag is one of the leading contenders, along with PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino, but Van der Kraan has stressed that United must also convince Ten Hag too.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, "There are three major opportunities for Erik ten Hag.
"Manchester United is only one of them. I don't want to dampen the excitement in England but maybe United have not done all the work yet.
"Yes, they've had positive talks with Ten Hag but so have two other major clubs in Europe. These are clubs who play Champions League football and who have chances to win titles in their own country.
"One of those clubs is very concrete for Ten Hag, and I think that is on mainland Europe - not in England. I know for a fact that Ten Hag is very excited about that job too."
He also stressed that United's recent history with managers has been far from stellar and this could pose a problem.
He continued, "If Manchester United want to get things going, they will have to speed things up and make things concrete. They will have to put a contract out to him because I think there's a real danger it could become too late for him.
"For Ten Hag, there may be the consideration of the graveyard Manchester United has been for managers.
"Not everything during his career has gone well for United when you see how Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed and seen their reputations damaged.
"It needs some more convincing from United."
Ten Hag has won the Dutch Eredivisie title twice with Ajax, in 2019 and 2021, and is on course for a third crown as his side are two points clear of PSV Eindhoven at the top of the table.
He also guided the Dutch club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.
Luis Enrique, who is currently managing the Spanish national side, and Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui are also thought to be in contention for the Old Trafford hotseat, while United are believed to be monitoring the situation at Chelsea closely, with their manager Thomas Tuchel also of interest.