Ten Hag rocked, as key Man Utd man ready to leave if one club comes calling
Erik ten Hag could be about to lose a key man at Manchester United, with a report claiming the lure of joining one club in particular may prove too strong to ignore.
Ten Hag has not lacked for problems to solve in the early going of the 2023/34 campaign. However, according to news from the Netherlands, the Man Utd boss could soon be deprived of someone he shares a ‘strong bond’ with at Old Trafford.
It’s been a chastening opening to the season for Ten Hag’s former club Ajax. The Dutch giant are used to battling it out with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven atop the Eredivisie, though after six matches they remarkably sit 16th out of 18.
New boss Maurice Steijn replaced John Heitinga over the summer, though has got off to a nightmare start.
Ajax have won just two of their opening 10 matches across all competitions and the heat is already rising on Steijn.
Dutch publication De Telegraaf recently reported Ajax’s interim CEO, Jan van Halst, has already made secret plans regarding who else could represent the club on the touchline.
The man in Ajax’s sights, per the report, is Ten Hag’s assistant coach at Old Trafford – Mitchell van der Gaag.
The Dutchman, 51, is one of Ten Hag’s two assistants along with Steve McClaren. Van der Gaag has previously managed a variety of clubs in Portugal and the Netherlands, though has worked under Ten Hag ever since becoming his assistant at Ajax in 2021.
But per the latest from Soccernews, Van der Gaag is ready to spread his wings and leave Man Utd if Ajax come calling.
Van der Gaag ready to leave Man Utd?
The outlet state Van der Gaag ‘always wants to aim higher’ and isn’t content with being a No 2 forever.
As such, it’s claimed he’s now ‘open to standing on his own two feet again’ and Ajax are ‘one of the clubs that can convince him’.
Such an appointment at Ajax would share similarities with their decision to employ Ten Hag way back in 2017.
That appointment was the biggest in Ten Hag’s career at the time, as it would be in 2023 for Van der Gaag. Ten Hag helped Ajax lift six major honours including three league titles during his four-and-a-half year stint at the club.
While the prospect of losing Van der Gaag is clearly dependant on Ajax axing Steijn, it is a scenario that looks entirely possible if the club’s results don’t quickly pick up.
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