Manchester United are closing in on the appointment of Erik ten Hag with Joel Glazer favouring the Dutchman over Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports.
The Red Devils have been eyeing a new permanent manager for several months with Ralf Rangnick's interim spell coming to an end this summer. Ten Hag and Pochettino have emerged as the two frontrunners and there is a divide at Old Trafford as to who the best man for the job is.
Ten Hag has proven himself at Ajax and is ready for a new challenge whilst Pochettino has worked in the Premier League previously, making Tottenham more than the sum of their parts before his dismissal in 2019. Now at PSG the Argentine is struggling but retains supporters in the red half of Manchester.
But it is Glazer who wants to move for Ten Hag. The co-chairman, who is rarely seen at Old Trafford, will have the final say on who gets the United job. The manager search has been led by football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher.
They have reported to chief executive Richard Arnold. Both he and Glazer are in agreement that the Ajax boss is the best choice, reports ESPN. Pochettino was considered for the job back in 2018 after Jose Mourinho's sacking and was the early favourite to take over.
However, he was eventually overlooked for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, There was still a belief that the Argentine would be open to returning to England with United, but there are concerns given his fortunes in Paris this term. PSG were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid despite holding a 2-0 lead.
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The French club are also determined to hold out for the £15m compensation package it would require to lure Pochettino away from Paris. All that meant, for footballing and financial reasons, United saw Ten Hag as the favourable option, given he has just a £1.7m compensation fee.
The Dutchman has already begun sounding out possible assistants and is seeking a compatriot who has a prior association with the Red Devils. It means the likes of Jaap Stam, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Steve McClaren are all being considered for the role of assistant.
Ten Hag himself has eluded to leave Amsterdam, stating on Sport1: "I'm currently employed here at Ajax. I know that everything in football can change from one day to the next. If at some point I decide to take the next step, I hope that people here will understand."
