Louis van Gaal warns Manchester United target Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag, a target for Manchester United, has been advised by Louis van Gaal that he “must select a football club and not a commercial club.”

The Ajax coach is one among the frontrunners to replace Louis van Gaal as United manager, but Van Gaal, who spent two seasons in charge at United and won the FA Cup in 2016, thinks his compatriot faces a “tough choice” about coming to Manchester.

Ten Hag, the manager of Ajax, was interviewed by United officials last week for the club’s managerial post, but the club has yet to make a decision on who would succeed interim manager Ralf Rangnick in the summer.

Ten Hag is a major candidate to replace Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford, with Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, and Julen Lopetegui also on the club’s shortlist.

Van Gaal, on the other hand, has warned his compatriot not to follow in his footsteps by taking over as manager of Manchester United.

“Erik ten Hag is a wonderful coach, and that is always excellent for Manchester United,” Van Gaal remarked on Monday. However, because Manchester United is a commercial club, selecting a coach is tough. He should join a football club.

“I’m not going to advise him; he’ll contact me on his own.” But he must select a football club rather than a commercial club.”

Van Gaal, 70, was the manager of Manchester United for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

He won the FA Cup in his final game as manager, but he was fired when Manchester United failed to finish in the top four in his second season.

Ten Hag has been in charge of Ajax for five seasons, winning the Eredivisie twice and leading the team to the 2019 Champions League semi-finals.

Ajax leads the Eredivisie by two points, but they were eliminated from the Champions League this month by Benfica despite dominating possession in both legs of the last-16 encounter.

Mauricio Pochettino, the current manager of PSG, Luis Enrique, the head coach of Spain, and Julen Lopetegui, the manager of Sevilla, have all been associated with the vacant position.

Rangnick’s successor may have to oversee a season without Champions League football. United trail fourth-placed Arsenal by four points despite having played one more game.

With seven games remaining, Ten Hag’s Ajax sit two points ahead of second-placed PSV. The 52-year-contract old’s at the Johan Cruyff Arena will expire in June 2023.