Leading candidate and Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has broken his silence on his links to taking over Manchester United's top job.
Ajax manager and leading candidate to take over as Manchester United's boss, Erik ten Hag, has broken his silence on taking over Old Trafford's top job and praised the club and its fanbase. However, the Dutchman went on to implore the Ajax faithful to be understanding should he make a move to the Premier League club.
Ten Hag has been heavily linked with the United role in recent weeks, with reports claiming the Dutchman is now the outright favourite to become the club's long-term successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Reports added the Ajax manager was interviewed by the Manchester club last month, and ahead of the final round of talks, the Dutchman has directly addressed the increasing speculation.
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In an interview with Sport1, the 52-year-old said, "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," ten Hag added. Ten Hag's Ajax side is sat just two points ahead of PSV in an enthralling title race with just seven games remaining. The iconic Dutch team also have to navigate a KNVB Cup final against PSV on April 17.
"I know in football everything can change from one day to the next. If at some point I should decide to take the next step, I hope that people here will understand," the Ajax manager claimed.
When asked about the negotiations with United, ten Hag, while admitting his fondness for the club and its fans, revealed he is already planning for the 2022-23 campaign. "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," the Dutchman added.
According to reports, Old Trafford would need to dish out around 4 million pounds to Ajax to secure the services of ten Hag - a fee the Glazers would be willing to pay. Meanwhile, Sky Sports reported earlier this week reported that since interviewing Ten Hag, Old Trafford chiefs have been conducting 'due diligence' on the Ajax boss.
Erik ten Hag also spoke about Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's influence on his own coaching style. "I like how Guardiola brings his style to the team. His teams are always offensively aligned - with adventure and freedom for the players. He doesn't just focus on winning. He wants to play attractive football," the Dutchman said.
"He was always very transparent. You were warmly welcomed at every training session. You could always discuss his idea of football with him and learn from him. That was very valuable to me. I want to win every game if possible. But it also has to be done in a way that is attractive to the fans because in professional football, you play for the fans. That's why I always set up my team offensively," the Ajax manager concluded.