Louis van Gaal tells Erik ten Hag to avoid taking Manchester United job

Louis van Gaal has urged Erik ten Hag to avoid becoming Manchester United’s next manager because they are a ‘commercial club’.

Ten Hag is currently at Ajax but has already been interviewed by United as they search for a long-term successor to Ralf Rangnick.

Van Gaal, meanwhile, spent two seasons at United and was sacked just two days after guiding the team to victory in the FA Cup final in 2016.

Ten Hag is believed to be one of the frontrunners to become United’s new manager this summer alongside Mauricio Pochettino.

But Van Gaal, who is set to lead Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar later this year, feels Ten Hag should reject a move to United.

‘Erik ten Hag is a great coach and that is always good for Manchester United,’ Van Gaal said at a press conference on Monday.

‘But Manchester United are a commercial club, so it’s a difficult choice for a coach. He would be better going to a football club.’

‘I’m not going to advise him, he’ll call me himself. But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club.’

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When asked about his future earlier this month, Ten Hag said: ‘At the moment I am only working with Ajax and have no further thoughts on the future.

‘The focus is on this season. Right now I shouldn’t be the theme. The theme is: how are we going to win games?’

Ajax are currently two points clear at the top of the Eredivisie but were eliminated from the Champions League by Benfica this month.

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