Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has asked current Ajax manager Erik ten Hag to stay away from the soon-to-be-vacant position at the club. Ten Hag was reportedly interviewed by the Red Devils recently for the managerial position.
Van Gaal was forced to walk away from his job as the Manchester United head coach under unceremonious circumstances, mere minutes after the Dutchman led the club to an FA Cup win – the first of their three trophies in the last nine years. The veteran tactician, who took the charge of the Netherlands national team in 2021, has been vocal about his experience at Old Trafford over the years and was at it once again during a recent press conference, advising current United’s managerial candidate ten Hag against taking up the role at the end of the season.
Van Gaal called United a “commercial club”, implying factors other than footballing ones often take precedence at Old Trafford. Furthermore, the Dutchman asserted that his compatriot must choose a “football club” to continue his development.
“Erik ten Hag is a great coach, and that is always good for Manchester United. But Manchester United are a commercial club, so it’s a difficult choice for a coach. He’d better go to a football club,”
“I’m not going to advise him, he’ll call me himself. But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club.”
Van Gaal said.
Currently the manager of Ajax, whom he has led to back-to-back titles and a Champions League semifinal appearance, Ten Hag was recently interviewed by United with a view towards appointing him as the successor to Ralf Rangnick for the following season.
The Athletic claims that the Dutchman is a prime candidate for the job, but the Red Devils are considering options across the continent, including Mauricio Pochettino (PSG), Julen Lopetegui (Sevilla), and Luis Enrique (Spain NT).
Meanwhile, as per Fabrizio Romano, Ten Hag has been approached by two more clubs for a future role following his meeting with United, meaning that the English giants inadvertently find themselves in the middle of a race to appoint the Dutchman as their next manager.
