Erik ten Hag 'in talks' with former club Ajax after rejecting Premier League return

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Ex-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly held talks over a return to former club Ajax. Ten Hag is available after being sacked by Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the season and has recently been linked with a return to the Premier League .

The Dutchman was among the names shortlisted by Wolves as they continue the search for a replacement for the sacked Vitor Pereira . Ten Hag is looking for a new club having been sacked by Leverkusen just two Bundesliga games into the season.

Wolves reportedly reached out to Ten Hag via an intermediary to gauge his interest in the vacant job. But Wolves’ position at the foot of the Premier League table, with two points from 10 games, did not appeal to Ten Hag, who now appears to have received a more attractive offer, while Wolves have moved on to chase Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards.

Dutch outlet AD says that Ten Hag has already held talks with Ajax chiefs over the possibility of replacing John Heitinga as boss. Ajax are fourth in the Eredivisie and were thrashed 3-0 at home by Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Heitinga left his role on Arne Slot ’s coaching staff at Liverpool to take over at Ajax in the summer, but has won just five of his 15 games in charge so far. The 41-year-old is under pressure and it seems as though the club are considering sacking him, despite handing him a two-year deal in May.

The loss against Galatasaray made it one win in the last seven games for Heitinga, who has seen supporters call for his sacking. One supporter group released a statement on Wednesday which read: “This is no longer sustainable. The decline in the sport must be halted now. The AFCA Supporters Club has enormous respect for Heitinga as a player. But now we are judging him as a coach.”

Ajax’s players have also painted a worrying picture, with Davy Klaasen failing to back Heitinga while saying there was “little foundation” and “little development” post-match.

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Technical director Alex Kroes has reportedly met with Ten Hag this week and his previous success with the club could land him a return. The 55-year-old coach won 73 per cent of his games between January 2018 and May 2022, winning three Eredivisie titles and two domestic cups while also getting Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals.

His eye-catching work at Ajax earned him the move to United in the summer of 2022 and he delivered two more trophies at Old Trafford: the Carabao Cup in 2023 and FA Cup in 2024.

Ten Hag was sacked by United a year ago, with Ruben Amorim coming in to replace him, and while his short stay at Leverkusen was a blow, it doesn’t seem to have damaged his reputation much.

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