Set to relinquish his managerial duties at the end of the season, Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick will already be preparing to hand over the Old Trafford torch.
Expected to move from the dugout to an office-based consultancy role at the end of the current campaign, Rangnick, who succeeded former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has recently discussed one candidate heavily linked to become the Red Devils’ next permanent boss.
Although several top managers have been linked with arguably one of the most prestigious and difficult jobs in English football, one name who remains front of the queue is Ajax’s Erik ten Hag.
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Speaking recently about the possibility of seeing ten Hag takeover at Old Trafford, Rangnick, who spoke to Sky Sports ahead of his side’s Manchester Derby (as quoted by Fabrizio Romano), said: “It’s obvious he’s one of the top coaches in Europe.
“I don’t know him to start with as a person, but I’ve seen how Ajax have developed since he’s been there.
“And I know about the work he did while he was at Bayern”.
United are set to take on rivals Manchester City in Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League tie at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite the relentless speculation surrounding which manager will be the side’s permanent boss next season, Rangnick’s main concern will be finding a way to navigate past Pep Guardiola’s formidable Citizens.
Expected to be without star man Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Edinson Cavani, both of whom are ruled out through injury (The Athletic), Rangnick will know that regardless of what happens at the end of the season, getting a result on Sunday will be fans’ main concern – at least for this weekend anyway.