Ex-Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag in talks to rejoin old club after snubbing Premier League job

Former Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has reportedly held discussions with an Ajax director about a potential return to his old club. The Dutchman, who led the Amsterdam giants to three Eredivisie titles during his four-year tenure, has been out of work since being dismissed by Bayer Leverkusen on 1 September.

Ten Hag, 55, left Ajax for United in May 2022 and despite securing two trophies, he was shown the door at Old Trafford in October 2024. He made a comeback to management with Leverkusen in the summer but was ruthlessly sacked after overseeing just three Bundesliga matches, with one win, one draw and one loss.

Now, as per Dutch media outlet AD, Ten Hag met with Ajax's technical director Ted Kroes on Monday over coffee in Huizen, Netherlands.

Ajax appointed John Heitinga, last season's assistant to Arne Slot at Liverpool, as manager in the summer. However, the Dutch side have had a rocky start to the season, managing only five wins and five draws from their 15 matches across all competitions.

They are already trailing Feyenoord by eight points in the title race after 11 fixtures and risk falling further behind if their form doesn't pick up. Ajax have also suffered defeat in each of their first four Champions League matches, enduring crushing losses against Inter Milan, Marseille, Chelsea and Galatasaray on Wednesday.

The pressure is mounting on Heitinga's role at Ajax, with rumours suggesting that Kroes may sack the former Everton defender and bring in Ten Hag as his replacement.

The duo were reportedly in discussions over the summer, but Ten Hag instead opted for a move to Leverkusen, who had just lost Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

This week has also seen Ten Hag linked with the vacant managerial position at Wolves, following the sacking of Vitor Pereira on Sunday.

The West Midlands club decided to part ways with Pereira after a dismal start to the Premier League season, having only managed to secure two points so far.

However, reports on Monday suggested that Ten Hag has some doubts about taking the helm at Wolves, who are currently eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards and Michael Carrick are also being considered for the role after Gary O'Neil declined the opportunity to return.