Erik ten Hag could become Pep Guardiola’s neighbour after telling Manchester United that he wants to live in the city centre when he takes over at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has opted to shun the enclave of millionaires who populate the Golden Triangle of Alderley Edge, Prestbury and Wilmslow because he doesn’t want to shut himself away from the fans who have become so disgruntled at the direction United are taking.
One of the places he is looking at is the plush 16-storey Deansgate CitySuites – home to Guardiola’s family, and other Manchester City stars like Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva. The building is situated on the Salford side of the River Irwell, which is traditionally United territory.
But Guardiola is so settled there he is thinking of extending his contract with City beyond a seventh season, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2023. Ten Hag is known in Holland to value his privacy.So United were surprised when he told them that he was planning to live right in the heart of Manchester.
The Dutchman struck up a good relationship with Guardiola when he was in charge of Bayern Munich’s reserve team during the Catalan’s tenure in Germany. Sir Alex Ferguson, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and current interim United boss Ralf Rangnick all based themselves in Cheshire.
David Moyes remained in his family home near Preston during his 10-month spell in charge and Jose Mourinho lived permanently in the Lowry Hotel in the centre of town. Ten Hag is ready to live out of a suitcase too, but only until a suitable home is found in the locality.
He has signed a three-year contract with United, although the deal includes the option of a 12-month extension. The Ajax boss has been tasked with arresting a decline at Old Trafford that accelerated when Ferguson retired in 2013, after winning his 13th Premier League title.
Speaking of his incoming successor, interim boss Rangnick said: "Erik ten Hag is a good choice, if not a very good choice, he has shown that in the past. I’m pretty convinced he’s the best possible coach you can get right now.”
Rangnick is set to hand over an extensive dossier to Ten Hag when the Dutchman takes up the reins in the summer, before moving into a two-year consultancy role. Although, he opened the door to the suggestion the latter may not come to fruition as he seeks clarity on his involvement going forward.
“For me, it’s not about having agreed upon a contract for the next two years. I’m 64 very soon. For me, it’s about what will really happen and not about the contract on paper.
“How much do Erik ten Hag and the board of Manchester United want to know about my opinion, about my experience and this is what we haven’t spoken about, as yet.”
