Erik ten Hag 'Likely' to Join Bayern Munich Next Summer But Thomas Tuchel Remains on Shortlist
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has again been tipped to leave the club for Bayern Munich, with a new report in the Netherlands suggesting he will make the move next summer.
Bayern sacked recently sacked Niko Kovač following a 5-1 crushing at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt, with the result leaving the Bavarians fifth in the Bundesliga table, four points behind leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Ajax, meanwhile, have built a healthy six-point advantage at the top of the Eredivisie, continuing the significant progress made in Amsterdam last season.
Ten Hag masterminded de Godenzonen's breathtaking run to the Champions League semi finals last term. Despite the pain of losing to Tottenham in the final seconds of that tie, Ajax went on to secure a league and cup double.
Now, Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf report the 49-year-old is on a two-man shortlist for the vacancy at the Allianz Arena, with Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel also being considered for the Bayern job.
It's claimed that Ten Hag 'would like to make his dream come true' and return to Munich, assuming Ajax do not attempt to block his switch to the Bundesliga. He previously coached Die Roten's reserve team between 2013 and 2015, though the decision to leave Johan Cruyff Arena is not entirely in his control.
In June, Ten Hag signed a contract extension until 2022, which does not include a release clause. However, the likelihood of him moving back to Bavaria appears strong in light of recent comments by Ajax director of football Marc Overmars.
The ex-Arsenal forward said: "You must remain realistic when such large clubs come. How often does someone get such a chance? You should always look at that. We always think about what's best for you, perhaps too much."
Ten Hag has already ruled out the possibility of replacing Kovač during the 2019/20 campaign, but seemed to leave the door open to a move, saying Bayern are still in his heart.
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