Erik ten Hag is reportedly prepared to snub the offer of becoming Manchester United manager if he is unable to put his own stamp on an ageing squad.
The Ajax boss is the overwhelming favourite to be named the next permanent head coach and has already completed interviews with Old Trafford chiefs. Mauricio Pochettino is another name in the frame, but Ten Hag was said to have impressed the hiring committee with his vision for the future.
Although a deal has yet to be agreed upon with either his current club or Ten Hag himself, there was a growing optimism that it would be completed before the end of the current season. However, the Times now state that he has the option to join a ‘major Bundesliga club’ and wants assurances before making a final decision.
The report states that Ten Hag wants to alter the profile of the squad and bring in players more suited to the high-pressing style he would like to implement. United have a host of experienced players entering either the final weeks or the final months of their contract and the 52-year-old wants to clarify the club’s plans in regards to their futures.
Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani are all set to become free agents at the end of this season, with Nemanja Matic, David De Gea, Phil Jones and Cristiano Ronaldo coming into the final year of their respective deals.
Having impressed Old Trafford coaches with the coaching practices he intends to bring to Carrington should he get the role, he now wants a guarantee that he will have the players on board able to execute them successfully. Should he not feel that is on offer, he is willing to turn down the approach from United and instead take a job in the German top flight.
Ten Hag’s apparent power play piles pressure on to decision makers behind the scenes, who have come in for heavy criticism following a string of recruitment missteps in the last decade. It has been previously suggested that plans are already being put in place for the upcoming window, although the manager will have the opportunity to veto them once they are in place.
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Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is set to take on a consultancy role at the club, despite his managerial stint at the club threatening to come to an embarrassing end. Defeat at Everton on Saturday means the Red Devils are now highly unlikely to finish in the Champions League places adding a fresh wrinkle to any prospective transfer plans.
Speaking on Friday about the search for a new manager, Rangnick remained coy but said that all of the candidates the club has spoken to are high-quality coaches. “I know all of the managers with whom the club have so far spoken to are top managers and top coaches - if this includes Erik ten Hag, it is also true with him.”
The 63-year-old has also offered to liaise with the new manager and give his thoughts on the current squad, having already done the same to those already at the club. He added: “I spoke regularly with board members and they know what I think needs to happen in the summer. If he [the next manager] is interested and willing to speak about that and interested in my opinion I will see what happens.”
