Under-pressure Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is “top of the list” to become the next Ajax manager, talkSPORT has been told.
The Dutchman’s future at Old Trafford has been thrown into uncertainty due to poor results this season, as well as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority buyout of the club in December.
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More doubts were cast over Ten Hag’s future this weekend, with Man United only managing a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Burnley, and the Red Devils now cannot finish in the top four in the Premier League this season.
With the Europa League or possibly Conference League football on the horizon next season, a change could be coming to Man United’s coaching staff.
But Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan has suggested Ten Hag could jump ahead of any possible push, with the 54-year-old the favorite for the top job at the Amsterdam ArenA.
“There is a great exit route for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag,” Van der Kraan said on Trans Europe Express.
“Ajax had a terrible season: they had three managers, they sacked the technical director, Sven Mislintat, they sacked the CEO and brought him back… they sacked almost everyone they could think of and it was truly disastrous.
“The CEO, the big man who was fired only two weeks ago for alleged insider trading because he allegedly bought shares just before his appointment, is back on the scene Friday afternoon.
“Alex Kroes, who founded SEG (Sports Entertainment Group), takes care of Erik ten Hag, they have been doing it for many years. This Alex Kroes is the new technical director of Ajax.
“Alex Kroes has Erik ten Hag at the top of his wanted list. He’s his man and he’ll be waiting for him until the end of this month because by June 1 they have to appoint a manager or take a decision.
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“He is willing to wait another month to see if Erik ten Hag will take the job on June 1.
“Why until the end of May? Because May 25 is the FA Cup final [Manchester United vs Manchester City] and Ten Hag will not want to be bothered with this question.
“But he knows it, he knows there is an open door at Ajax and that he can be the manager of Ajax next season and try to win a title there again.”
Ajax have had a dreadful season, which has seen them sack two managers, while current boss John van ‘t Ship is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
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They are fifth in the Eredivisie, 35 points behind champions-elect PSV Eindhoven, which would mean they would have to make the play-offs just to qualify for the Conference League next season.
The Kroes drama added to the chaos off the field. The 49-year-old began work as CEO in March but was suspended just 19 days after taking the role after being found guilty of “insider trading” ahead of his appointment in August 2023 by buying 17 000 club shares.
Insider trading – buying or selling shares based on inside information – is a criminal offense and Kroes subsequently submitted all required information to the Netherlands Financial Markets Authority (AFM) for review. He maintains that his actions do not constitute a criminal act.
On April 14, after Ajax’s 6-0 thrashing of Feyenoord, the club’s members’ council and ultras wrote to the supervisory board – which made the decision to suspend Kroes – asking them to reconsider their decision.
And it has since been announced that the supervisory board has authorized Kroes to return to the club in the new role of “technical director”, with the understanding that he will “step down as CEO and chairman of the board”.
talkSPORT understands Ten Hag and Man United players will take a pay cut for failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Ajax are still unlikely to match Ten Hag’s salary at Man United, however, Van der Kraan believes money is not a goal in Ten Hag’s managerial career.
“If you remember why Ten Hag came to Manchester United, money was never his motivation,” Van der Kraan added.
“Ten Hag comes from a family of millionaires, his father had a huge, huge empire in the east of Holland. I don’t think he ever had to worry about money and I don’t think “A million or two more or less will make a difference to Erik.”
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Ten Hag joined Man United from Ajax in 2022 after winning three league titles in five years with the Dutch giants.
He had a good first season with Man United as the team won the Carabao Cup, reached the FA Cup final and qualified for the Champions League again.
However, Man United finished last in their Champions League group, lost 3-0 to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and have lost 12 of their 34 Premier League games this season.
