Newcastle 'willing' to pay huge wage to land Ajax manager Erik ten Hag
By Max Cooper
Newcastle United are ready to launch a daring bid to bring Ajax manager Erik ten Hag to the Premier League, according to a report.
The Magpies new owners are searching for Steve Bruce's replacement, having relieved him of his duties following the 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Paulo Fonseca and Steven Gerrard have both been linked with a switch to Tyneside, but a new name has emerged in the race.
The Daily Mail reports that Newcastle want to make Ten Hag their new manager, and they're 'willing' to offer the Ajax boss £6m a year after tax to tempt him away from Amsterdam. An £11m gross wage would make him the third best paid coach in England, behind top-of-the-list Pep Guardiola and second-placed Jurgen Klopp.
90min understands that third parties have been busy trying to engineer interest between the club and Ten Hag, but there has been little progress made in terms of striking a deal, or convincing him to leave Holland.
In fact, despite the lucrative offer, Ten Hag is believed to have reservations over moving on from Ajax. He has become an incredibly sought-after coach, having worked wonders with an ever-changing Ajax side, and his style of play has won plaudits all over Europe.
Ten Hag has won two Eredivisie titles during his time at the helm, and carried them to within a whisker of the Champions League final in 2019. Those heroics have inspired other clubs to try to secure his services, but no-one has found any success as of yet.
Tottenham Hotspur attempted to hire Ten Hag last summer, but he rejected the opportunity to replace Jose Mourinho at White Hart Lane. Moving to relegation-threatened Newcastle would constitute an even bigger risk for the Dutchman, given their precarious position in the Premier League.
Newcastle are currently languishing in the bottom three of the top flight, and although they do boast huge financial backing following the Saudi takeover, there are still plenty of concerns over the club's short-term future.