Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Josh O'Brien

Ajax introduce Erik ten Hag press conference ban with Man Utd set to appoint manager

Ajax have issued a ban on the English media attending Erik ten Hag's press conference on Saturday night as rumours continue to link the Dutchman with the Manchester United job.

Ten Hag is seemingly on the cusp of being announced as the new United boss once Ralf Rangnick's interim reign concludes at the end of the season. Talks between the Old Trafford hierarchy and Ten Hag himself are thought to be all but done and attention has turned to paying Ajax the required £1.6million in compensation.

While he will not sit in the hot-seat in Manchester until the summer, Ten Hag's move could be confirmed by United before the end of the current campaign. Hopes are high among club officials that the 52-year-old is the right man to restore United to their former glories.

The search to find a permanent successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has raged on since November of last year, with Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino in the running for months but he now appears to have fallen short. PSG's recent run of dismal form may have contributed to his demise in the eyes of those overseeing the appointment process.

Ajax, meanwhile, are clearly unhappy with the amount of speculation surrounding their manager's future and as a result have taken steps to prevent the number of United-related questions being asked at his next post-match press conference.

The club are keen to keep all attention focused solely on the task at hand in the league as the Eredivisie titans look to extend their lead at the top of the table and put significant distance between themselves and second-placed PSV Eindhoven.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Would Erik ten Hag be the right appointment for Manchester United? Comment below

After Ajax's game at home to Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday evening, English media will not be able to cover his post-match presser in a bid to keep all United talk to a minimum.

Sky Sports News reporter Gary Cotterill, via The Express, offered a bit more clarity around the club's decision: "As Ten Hag was preparing his team to face Sparta Rotterdam, the media team were busily rejecting the applications from the English media to attend the post-match news conference. There will be no radio, no newspapers, no Sky Sports News.

"They don't want him asked, in English, about Manchester United. His English isn't that great, either. Ajax say he needs to concentrate on winning another title. It's by no means a given - they're only four points ahead with six games to play."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.