Erik ten Hag was sacked in October. (Image: Getty)
Former manager could be set for a quick return to football depending on what happens in the next week. The Dutchman , having overseen the club’s worst-ever start to a campaign.
Despite leading United to League Cup and success in his first two seasons, Ten Hag came in for heavy criticism for his side’s lack of consistency and for spending heavily on underperforming players.
But he’s now being linked to taking over at Borussia Dortmund, with current boss Nuri Sahin seemingly facing a crunch week in his tenure.
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Dortmund lie 10th in the following their 2-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday night. And much of their season now hinges on their Champions League campaign, where they face a battle to qualify for the knockout stages.
Despite currently being ninth in the 32-team standings, the German side will inevitably lose places if they are beaten in Bologna on Tuesday. That would leave them with a potential do-or-die clash at home to Shakhtar Donetsk the following week.
But according to Sky Sports Germany, Sahin is set to be sacked if his side loses in Italy. The former Turkish international made 135 appearances for the club as a player, and returned to the club in the summer following the departure of Edin Terzic.
Nuri Sahin is on the brink at Dortmund. (Image: Getty)
And should Sahin leave his role, Ten Hag is said to be the leading candidate to replace him. Speculation has been rife ever since the 54-year-old was spotted in Dortmund last month, and crucially, the club would not need to negotiate with another club given he’s readily available.
This notion appears to make Ten Hag a favourite ahead of another reported contender, Sebastian Hoeness. The Stuttgart boss is said to have an exit clause in the region of £6.8million, and Dortmund are likely to meet resistance from their Bundesliga rivals.
Ten Hag has so far been coy on a return to management. Only in July, he signed a contract extension at Old Trafford, seemingly keeping him at the club until the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
He later claimed to be surprised to be sacked, which came the morning after a 2-1 defeat at . But after departing the club, he pointed to his record of silverware in England.
“We won two trophies, achievements that I will cherish for the rest of my life.” he said. “Of course, my dream was to bring more trophies to the cabinet. Unfortunately, that dream has come to an end.”