Dutchman Eric Tenhag, 52, has become the biggest favourite to coach Manchester United, and he will be in the second round of interviews with the Red Devils. According to the British "Daily Telegraph", the Ajax manager has taken a lead over Paris Saint-Germain's Pochettino and has obtained the "pole position".
United have been "doing their duty" since meeting with Tenhag two weeks ago, including understanding how much it would cost to poach him from Ajax. It is said that the damage fee is around 4 million to 5 million pounds.
Tenhag moved from Utrecht to Ajax in 2017 and led them to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, where he also won the Eredivisie title twice and the Dutch Cup twice. Ajax are currently only two points ahead of title rival Eindhoven, with seven games to play, and the two teams will meet directly at Cruyff Arena, which is also a two-team title tie-up in the Dutch Cup final on 17 April.
As a result, Tenhag is unable to express his attitude towards Manchester United for the time being, but he confirmed that negotiations are underway and praised the Red Devils as a great club. "In our football, people know each other." Tenhag said: "There are always negotiations and rumors with other clubs, which is normal. Manchester United are a great club with great fans, but I can only repeat that my whole focus is on Ajax."
As for his future, Tenhag said: "At the end of each season, I sit down with Ajax and talk. This year, I can say that Ajax and Tenhag are happy with each other at the moment. I need to put all my energy into the final game, and anything else will just distract me."
Asked further if he would coach Manchester United, Tenhag still gave a diplomatically rhetorical response: "In the world of football, you can never predict the future. I'm not going to rule out any possibility because I know that in football, every day can change. If there's a point where I decide to take the next step, hopefully the people at Ajax will understand."
United interim manager Ronnick also confirmed that United had interviewed more than one candidate, but he had not yet communicated with football director John Mertav and technical director Darren Fletcher. "I don't know the details," Lonnick said, "but I know they've spoken to a couple of people, and so far I haven't asked them about the experience and impressions they've gained in the interview." But I don't think it's a problem because I have to focus on the next game for United."
Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal suggested this week that Tenhag reject the Red Devils because the club is too commercial and not a pure football club.
In response, Lonnick said: "I think in global football, especially in the Premier League, any rich man or company can buy a club, as long as it is legally through the relevant procedures, this is definitely a commercial business, that is for sure, no matter which club in any city. My experience over the past 4 months has taught me that Manchester United is a club with a great tradition and a close relationship with the fans, the city and the community. I didn't see anything negative and if it was something else within the club I couldn't say more. Luis (van Gaal) is a seasoned manager who coached Manchester United seven or eight years ago and if he had that thought, he would have known in advance."
"In my opinion, Manchester United are great clubs, of course, the results of the past few years have not met expectations, but if the club can correctly sum up the experience of the past few years, I think the future of Manchester United is still very bright. It's always good to have money to sign new players, but the question is whether to sign the right players. It's not just a matter of money, it's the idea behind it. What kind of philosophy, how to play, these are not solved by money."