Erik ten Hag’s tumultuous Manchester United career could be over as soon as this weekend. That’s according to reports shared by TEAMtalk, which claim United will sack the Dutch manager if his team fails to beat Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday.
This term, Ten Hag has led United to their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, with his side picking up just eight points from a possible 21 and stuck in 14th place. As a result of the club’s poor start, the powers that be at Old Trafford have already been eyeing replacements for Ten Hag. Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel was believed to be their top target, however, any chance of landing the German came to an end on Wednesday when he was appointed as the new England boss.
TEAMtalk now claim that another of Chelsea’s former managers, Graham Potter, is the front runner to replace Ten Hag should he be unable to save his bacon at the weekend.
Ten Hag pleads with board for De Jong
If Ten Hag can make it past Brentford, the Dutchman believes he can save his United career, and the club’s season, in January with a marquee signing, according to reports from Spain. Sport.es report that Ten Hag has demanded that United sign Frenkie de Jong from FC Barcelona after the New Year, with the 54-year-old manager believing the former Ajax wonderkid to be the player that would finally glue his ever-changing side together.
According to the Spanish newspaper, De Jong, 27, is Ten Hag’s “dream” signing. The two worked together at Ajax between 2017 and 2019, with the midfielder the star player in the young team that won the Eredivisie and made it to the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since the 1996/97 season.
De Jong, called an “extraordinary footballer” by Xavi, left Ajax for Barcelona at the end of the 2018/19 campaign and has been continually linked with a move to United ever since Ten Hag took charge in 2022.
Ten Hag obsessed with his former Ajax players
Since moving to United, Ten Hag has made a habit of buying his old Ajax players. In just two years, he’s signed no less than five players whom he managed during his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena – Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, and Antony.
Combined, they have cost United a whopping £222 million, but none have yet justified their hefty transfer fees, nor why Ten Hag decided to bring them to Old Trafford in the first place.
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A further six players Ten Hag has signed for United – Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount, Sofyan Amrabat, Wout Weghorst, and Joshua Zirkzee – also have backgrounds in the Dutch top flight. Back in August, Ten Hag addressed accusations from United fans that he is obsessed with signing his former Ajax players and ex-Eredivise stars.
“It’s club decisions. None of them is only my decision,” he said, according to Sunday World. “It’s always backed or even brought up through the scouting, recruitment, the technical director, the sporting director.”