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Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is one of the frontrunners to replace Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen after the Spaniard signalled his intention to leave the club at the end of the season, according to a report.
Alonso, 43, will depart the BayArena this summer after enjoying a historic campaign last season with Die Werkself, winning an unprecedent Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double without losing a single game.
It proved a feat impossible to match this year but Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen with Champions League qualification secured for next season and a host of talented players at his successor’s disposal.
Alonso is expected to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid with the Italian manager leaving to assume the position of head coach of the Brazil national team.
Bayer Leverkusen have been preparing for Alonso’s departure for some time and will receive between €5 million to €10 million in compensation from Los Blancos.
A report relayed by The Peoples Person revealed the German club had identified Ten Hag as a “serious candidate” to replace Alonso with Athletic reporter Laurie Whitwell now confirming the Dutchman is on their “shortlist“.
Whitwell writes, “Erik ten Hag is on Bayer Leverkusen’s shortlist to become their next head coach, but the former Manchester United manager is also open to a return to the Premier League.”
Leverkusen are described as “continuing the process” to find their new manager but are yet to settle on a “preferred” option, despite Ten Hag featuring highly in their minds after previously working in Germany.
“Leverkusen are yet to make a decision on their preferred candidate, although there is an expectation at Como that their head coach Cesc Fabregas — who had been admired by Leverkusen — will remain at the Serie A club for 2025-26.
“Former Ajax head coach Ten Hag previously worked in Germany between 2013 and 2015 as Bayern Munich II manager — when Pep Guardiola was in charge of Bayern’s first team — and favours a move to the Bundesliga or a return to England.”
Ten Hag evidently feels he has unfinished business in the Premier League after his unceremonious exit from Old Trafford in October. The Dutchman was replaced by Ruben Amorim with United in 14th in the league and yet to win a match in Europe.
But fast forward seven months and the Red Devils are now 16th in the table, suggesting the problems at the problem ran deeper than either Ten Hag or Amorim, though the former Ajax manager’s horrendous recruitment with United is undoubtedly a major part of this decline.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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