Ajax trainer Erik ten Hag set to take reins at Manchester United

Trainer Erik ten Hag only has a few matches left at Ajax. He has agreed to take over at Manchester United, the British newspaper The Athletic first reported on Tuesday. Other media in the Netherlands and abroad confirm the news based on information from insiders.

It is unlikely that the coach or clubs will confirm the upcoming transfer before Sunday. The 52-year-old coach does not want to disrupt the preparation for Ajax's cup final against PSV on Sunday. He'll likely hold his tongue until the Eredivisie final is over. Ajax defended a 4 point lead over PSV in the last five competition matches.

Ten Hag will give a press conference for the cup final on Friday. A lot of English media will likely try to be there. But even if they do manage to attend, there is little to no chance that Ten Hag will reveal his plans for the future. 

Ten Hag had been in talks with Manchester United for some time. The English club is looking for a coach to replace interim coach Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season. Manchester United seemed to rush for Ten Hag after it leaked that RB Leipzig was also interested in the Ajax trainer. 

Ajax hoped that Ten Hag would serve out his contract. The Amsterdam club is already looking for a successor for Marc Overmars, the director of football affairs who resigned over sexually transgressive behavior. In recent years, ten Hag and Overmars brought Ajax back to the European sub-top.

Manchester United still has to negotiate a transfer fee for the trainer with Ajax. Ten Hag carefully built his career, starting as an assistant at FC Twente and PSV and then moving to head coach of Go Ahead Eagles, the second team of Bayern Munich, and FC Utrecht. Mitchel van der Gaag, Ten Hag's assistant coach at Ajax, may move with him to England. 

Manchester United is not yet certain of participating in Europen football next season. The club is seventh in the Premier League. Donny van de Beek is under contract with United but will be loaned to Everton until the end of the season. He played for Ajax under Ten Hag.