Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be in line for a return to management after 'turning down' the chance to succeed Vitor Pereira at Wolves
Former Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag
Former Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag could return to Ajax
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Erik ten Hag has held talks with an Ajax director about a possible return to his former club. The ex-Manchester United head coach has been out of work since he was sacked by Bayer Leverkusen on September 1.
Ten Hag, 55, spent four years at the Amsterdam giants and won three Eredivisie titles before quitting to join United in May 2022. The Dutchman went on to lose his job at Old Trafford in October 2024, despite winning two trophies.
He returned to management with Leverkusen in the summer but was brutally axed after managing just threeBundesliga matches, winning one, drawing one and losing the other.
Now, according to Dutch outlet AD, Ten Hag met with Ajax's technical director Ted Kroes on Monday. It's added that the pair caught up over coffee in Huizen, Netherlands.
Ajax appointed John Heitinga, who spent last season as assistant to Arne Slot at Liverpool, as manager in the summer. However, the Dutch side have made a difficult start to the season, winning just five and drawing five of their 15 matches across all competitions.
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could return to Ajax(Image: Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images)
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They already sit eight points behind Feyenoord in the title race after 11 fixtures and face getting cut adrift should their form not improve. Ajax have also lost each of their first four Champions League matches, suffering miserable defeats against Inter Milan, Marseille, Chelsea and Galatasaray on Wednesday.
Pressure is increasing on Heitinga's position at Ajax and there is speculation that Kroes might axe the ex-Everton defender and replace him with Ten Hag. The pair were thought to have had talks in the summer, only for Ten Hag to move to Leverkusen, who lost Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, instead.
This week, Ten Hag has also been linked with the vacant manager's position at Wolves following the dismissal of Vitor Pereira on Sunday. The West Midlands club made the decision to axe Pereira after a winless start to the Premier League season, picking up just two points in the process.
But it was reported on Monday that Ten Hag has reservations about taking over at Wolves, who are eight points clear of safety at the bottom of the table. Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards is another name under consideration, as is Michael Carrick, after Gary O'Neil turned down the job.
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