Manchester United: Erik Ten Hag Refuses to Rule Out the Possibility of Joining a Different Club

Exchanges between Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United have been fruitful which means the Dutchman could become the Premier League side's next manager. After their reported interview, United have been keeping tabs on Ten Hag, besides entertaining a compensation figure they could offer him upon his entry.

Erik Ten Hag Wishes to Keep an Open Mind

Despite the claims, the 52-year-old revealed that he is also invested in Ajax, who are top-ranked in the Eredivisie and will play PSV in the Dutch cup final later in March. His statement clashed with another one where he implied "things can change from one day to the next" during an interview with Sport 1 in Germany. "My focus is currently only on Ajax, but in football, you never know. I don't want to rule anything out. I'm currently employed here at Ajax to perform. With the cup final against Eindhoven, we still have eight finals left and I need all my energy for that. Anything else would just be a distraction."

When asked about his correspondence with United, Ten Hag remarked, "Everyone knows each other in the industry. There are always talks with representatives from other clubs, that's normal. Manchester United is a great club with great fans, but I can only repeat myself: my full focus is completely on Ajax. We are already planning for the new season. I've sat down with Ajax after every season so far. That will also be the case this time."

Manchester United insist that they still haven't found the One

Sources close to Ajax have suggested that they have permitted United to reach out to Ten Hag and have discussions with him which also cover financial aspects. They also gave him a briefing on how to handle a possible announcement in case he is the new manager. On the contrary, United called these allegations immature and clarified that they don't have a preferred candidate who could take over next season.

The club believes that it is unfair to depict Ten Hag as the front-runner for the position before they've made any formal announcements about the same. In that regard, Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique are also top picks. On the other hand, Julen Lopetegui bowed out of the contention by saying, "I am where I want to be. Continue on the Sevilla bench next season? I have no doubt." 

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique is committed to Spain, who will seek his guidance at the World Cup in Qatar. Hence, Ten Hag could be much easier to capture. On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain will not keep ties with Pochettino based on their own decision. Hence, both men are seen as viable options for the job which is something even the club has not denied.