Erik Ten Hag is Manchester United's preferred managerial candidate

Ajax coach Erik ten Hag is Manchester United's preferred option to become their next manager.

As it stands, Ten Hag is United's prime choice to take over in the summer but the club has not made a final decision as it continues with its process.

The Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino remains under serious consideration and United have refused to rule out an approach for Thomas Tuchel amid uncertainty at Chelsea.

READ MORE: De Gea makes demand after Champions League elimination

The Manchester Evening News reported in November Spain coach Luis Enrique has admirers at Old Trafford while Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui, respected for his work at Sevilla, emerged among the contenders in the wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal in November. Brendan Rodgers was informally approached while Solskjaer was still in charge but no longer regarded as a serious candidate.

The MEN revealed in January United intend to settle on their next manager before the end of the season to accelerate plans for the summer. The 2022-23 season starts earlier than usual on August 6.

Ten Hag and Pochettino remain the frontrunners and negotiations with either coach could be smoother after PSG and Ajax were both ejected from the Champions League at the round-of-16 this month. PSG are cantering to the Ligue 1 title with a 15-point advantage but Ajax are only two points ahead of PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie.

Ten Hag, 52, is contracted to Ajax until next year and would command a relatively low compensation fee. The Dutchman guided Ajax to their first title in five years in 2019, when they knocked out Real Madrid and Juventus as they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 1997.

United are impressed