Erik ten Hag has given Manchester United a simple decision to make

Erik ten Hag did his best to profess his loyalty to Ajax while leaving the door more than a little ajar for a potential exit this summer.

The 52-year-old has already been interviewed by Manchester United and is leading the race to be installed as the club's next manager this summer.

The increased speculation around the Old Trafford vacancy comes at a tricky time for Ten Hag. While United had always earmarked this 18-day break between fixtures as an opportune moment to accelerate their search for a permanent manager this summer, the Dutchman is trying to maintain focus on Ajax's thrilling Eredivisie title race with PSV Eindhoven.

READ MORE: Ten Hag breaks his silence on future after United interview

But in his first major interview since he held discussions with United, Ten Hag did enough to lay the groundwork for a potential departure from Amsterdam this summer, getting his employers and the club's supporters used to the idea that after five years their association might be about to come to an end.

"My focus is currently only on Ajax. But in football you never know," Ten Hag told SPORT1.

"I don’t want to rule anything out. I’m currently employed here at Ajax to perform, with the cup final against Eindhoven, we still have eight finals left, and I need all my energy for that. Anything else would just be a distraction.

"I know that in football everything can change from one day to the next. If at some point I should decide to take the next step, I hope that people here will understand.

"Everyone knows each other in the industry. There are always talks with representatives from other clubs, that’s normal.

"Manchester United is a great club with great fans. But I can only repeat myself: My full focus is completely on Ajax!