Erik ten Hag has been accused of showing a lack of “respect” towards his former club Ajax with his Manchester United transfer approach this summer.
United completed the signing of defender Lisandro Martinez from the Amsterdam giants earlier this summer in an initial £46.8million fee with a further £8.5million in add-ons, bringing the total up to £55.3million.
It comes in the same summer that Ten Hag swapped Amsterdam for Old Trafford, alongside his number two Mitchell van der Gaag and video analyst Kevin Keij. Yet the boss has also been linked with a series of other players from his former club as he aims to bolster his ranks at United.
Ajax forward Antony is said to be among the leading transfer targets for Ten Hag, who is keen to reunite with the 22-year-old. The Brazilian has told the Dutch giants he wants to be considered for a United move – although the Dutch club’s £68million valuation is a major stumbling block to any move.
Defender Jurrien Timber had been a primary transfer target for Ten Hag prior to the 21-year-old’s reluctance to move to Old Trafford, prior to United moving for his defensive teammate Martinez. Holding midfielder Edson Alvarez was another player linked, with the Mexican international said to be a summer transfer target for the English club.
Ten Hag then tried to hijack Ajax’s move to sign striker Brian Brobbey from RB Leipzig, as he held a phone call with the 20-year-old – whom he handed his professional debut to during his time in charge at Ajax – as he floated the idea of the forward joining him at Old Trafford ahead of a return to Amsterdam.
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However, United’s two other transfers saw them raid Ajax’s domestic rivals Feyenoord to sign Dutch international left-back Tyrell Malacia while Christian Eriksen – formerly at the Dutch club – joined as a free agent after leaving Brentford, while another former Ajax star, Frenkie de Jong, is now the prime transfer target from Barcelona.
As said on Dutch outlet AT5, Ajax media’s Kokkie cited all these instances and claimed that he was “terribly done” with Ten Hag, despite his huge successes in charge at the club. Ten Hag’s pursuit of Antony was given particular attention, with Ajax having to tell their former coach “45 times” that he was not available for sale. The coach’s contact with Brobbey, where he suggested an alternative to returning to Ajax, represented a lack of “respect” for the club.
Ten Hag’s most eye-catching managerial achievement to date was guiding the Dutch giants into the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019, when they were seconds away from the final before Lucas Moura’s winner for Tottenham in the sixth minute of added time. Ajax stunned Real Madrid and Juventus on that memorable European run – their first knockout tie victories in the Champions League since 1997.
Ten Hag was appointed Ajax boss in December 2017 and guided the club three league title in his four full seasons at the helm, having ended their five-year wait for an Eredivisie crown in 2019. The coach also won two KNVB Cups at the club and reached the Champions League Round of 16 last campaign – being edged out by Benfica after having won all six of their group stage games.
