Erik ten Hag ‘considering’ Leipzig as Dutchman ‘reluctant’ to take Manchester United offer

Manchester United face competition from RB Leipzig for Erik ten Hag this summer, with the Dutchman ‘reluctant’ to finalise a deal with the Red Devils, according to reports.

The 52-year-old has been linked with the Old Trafford hot seat since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked by the club in November and Ralf Rangnick took interim charge until the end of the season.

Ten Hag was amongst several candidates for the role and is the current bookies’ favourite to take over at United.

Several reports suggested his interview with the club for the managerial position at United went well, but after ‘talks’ between the Dutchman and Red Devils, he is ‘reluctant’ to finalise the deal.

This according to the Mirror, who claims the 52-year-old is considering an offer from Leipzig after becoming worried about how much he’ll be involved in player recruitment at Old Trafford.

They add that the Bundesliga club has offered Ten Hag, whose current deal with Ajax expires in 2023, a ‘mega contract’.

Leipzig currently sit fourth in the German top flight, but Ten Hag’s preference is United, as per the Times.

The newspaper states the Dutchman wants to have a say on which players are signed and sold by the Red Devils if he is appointed their next manager.

United will be without a piece of silverware for a fifth campaign, having been knocked out of the Champions League last-16 to Atletico Madrid last month.

The club are also looking less likely to qualify for the competition next season due to their 1-0 loss on Saturday to relegation-fighting Everton.

Rangnick’s side sit seventh in the Premier League, six points off fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur with seven games remaining.

Leipzig, who are currently managed by Domenico Tedesco, are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and go into their second-leg against Atalanta on Thursday with a 1-1 aggregate score.

Ten Hag has guided Ajax to two Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups since taking charge of the club in 2017, as well as the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.