As Manchester United look to move closer to appointing Erik ten Hag as their next manager, it has emerged that they may be able to bypass the Dutchman's Ajax release clause.
Ten Hag continues to be questioned about his future, even threatening to walk out of an interview over the weekend. The Eredivisie club have banned English media from the manager's press conferences, with an important few weeks remaining in their own season.
United are still keen to wrap up a deal quickly, with RB Leipzig attempting to challenge them for the former Utrecht boss. And they could be dealt a boost thanks to their good working relationship with Ajax.
The Athletic reports that United's strong relationship with Ajax could help them avoid the release clause obstacle. Still, Ten Hag himself is yet to finalise his future, and the same report claims he could still end up extending his Ajax stay.
The prospect of the manager moving outside his release clause is described as "plausible" thanks to the relationship between the clubs. Former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is chief executive at the Johan Cruijff ArenA and is one of a number of Dutch internationals to have played for both clubs, along with the likes of Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek.
The speed of an announcement is said to be dependent on the speed of progress in talks between the relevant parties, but we shouldn't expect anything immediately. Part of the reason for this is Ajax's upcoming cup final against PSV Eindhoven. The Athletic says United "will be keen to respect" the game on April 17, so an announcement before that date is considered unlikely even if progress is made.
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Ajax have yet to concede a goal in the KNVB Cup, scoring 20 times across four games to reach the final. However, they will be wary of opponents PSV after losing 4-0 to Roger Schmidt's side in the Johan Cruijff Shield, the Dutch equivalent of the Community Shield.
Curiously, the season could end with both managers in new surroundings. While Ten Hag is yet to make a final decision on his future, Schmidt is due to leave Eindhoven at the end of the season, reportedly heading to Benfica, with Ruud van Nistelrooy due to take over in the dugout.
In addition to the cup runs, Ajax and PSV have been playing out a high-quality title race in the Eredivisie. Ten Hag's side beat PSV home and away, and have only conceded 15 times in 29 games, and yet Schmidt's men are just four points adrift with five games of the season remaining.
