Erik ten Hag ‘makes contact’ with Man Utd players ahead of potential Old Trafford switch

Ten Hag has carried out his due diligence on the United team

Erik ten Hag has 'been asking' Manchester United's players about the squad 'via intermediaries' ahead of a possible switch to Old Trafford. The Ajax boss is thought to be one of the leading candidates to become the next permanent manager at Old Trafford when interim Ralf Rangnick steps down at the end of the season. Mauricio Pochettino, whose Paris Saint-Germain future looks uncertain following their dramatic Champions League defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, is another leading candidate for the role. Karim Benzema scored a second-half hat-trick - with his last two goals coming within seconds of each other - as the LaLiga side overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit to progress to the quarterfinals, winning 3-2 on aggregate.

As reported by The Times, Ten Hag has carried out his due diligence on the United team by asking players about the squad via third parties. The 52-year-old is also attempting to learn as much information as possible about the running of the club.

During his time with Ajax, ten Hag has won two Eredivisie titles and led the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.

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It is thought that the Dutch giants would not stand in his way if he is offered the job at Old Trafford, with Sportsmail revealing that he has already started taking English lessons.

United interim manager Rangnick has played down his interest in taking the role on a permanent basis, and it seems unlikely that the German would offered the job. The Red Devils host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, hoping to close the gap on fourth-placed Arsenal, who sit just one point above United, but have three games in hand. Related links:

• Marcus Rashford considering Man Utd future over lack of playing time
• Harry Maguire’s place in Man Utd team questioned by teammates… again
• Edwin van der Sar speaks out on Man Utd’s interest in Ajax boss Erik ten Hag