Louis van Gaal has warned Ajax manager Erik ten Hag about taking the Manchester United job in the summer.
With Ralf Rangnick seemingly unlikely to be in charge of the club beyond the end of the season, United are stepping up their search for a permanent manager and have recently interviewed Ten Hag after being impressed with his work at Ajax.
The 52-year-old led the Dutch side to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they were beaten in dramatic fashion by a Lucas Moura-inspired Tottenham side.
Along with Mauricio Pochettino, Ten Hag is seen as one of the leading candidates to get the United job as the club look to respond to a painful season.
However, Van Gaal, who managed United for two seasons before leaving in 2016, has encouraged Ten Hag to turn down the approach, insisting that the club’s focus is more on matters off the pitch.
“I think Ten Hag is a great coach,’ Van Gaal said. ‘A great coach is good for Man Utd.
“But, they are a commercial club. Those are difficult choices for a coach. He should choose a football club, not a commercial club.”
He added: “I’m not going to tell him what to do. He can call me himself. Sometimes we talk to each other.
“But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club.”
Van Gaal is currently in his third spell as manager of Dutch national side and his focus will be on the Qatar World Cup at the end of the season.
His time in charge at Old Trafford came to an end two days after United won the FA Cup in 2016, beating Crystal Palace 2-1.
