Erik ten Hag to Ajax escape route could open up as Man United boss waits on Sir Jim ratcliffe decision

Erik ten Hag could be offered an escape route by his former club Ajax.

Ten Hag is caught up in a power struggle at Ajax as he awaits news on whether Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will provide the vote of confidence he desires by offering him a new contract. The Dutch manager was eyed for a dramatic return to Ajax when it seemed that Ratcliffe would introduce his own manager after acquiring control of football operations at Old Trafford with his £1.3million investment.

However, Ajax have dismissed their new CEO Alex Kroes following an insider trading scandal that has thrown the club into turmoil. Kroes, a lifelong friend of Ten Hag's influential agent Kees Vos, was prepared to give the 54 year old the opportunity to return to Amsterdam if he left United in the summer. Ten Hag is battling to keep his position following a disappointing Premier League season and an early exit from the Champions League. The FA Cup semi-final match against Coventry is a must-win game for the Dutchman, reports the Mirror.

Yet, insiders close to Ten Hag believe he will leave at the end of the season if he doesn't receive assurances from Ratcliffe's INEOS Group about their commitment to him. He has just over a year left on his current contract and there have been no discussions about extending the three-year deal he signed in the summer of 2022.

United have the option to extend his contract by 12 months - but that wouldn't prevent him from resigning if he felt he was fighting a losing battle. In a new twist, Ajax's hardcore fans are now demanding the reinstatement of Kroes.

Kroes was dismissed last month after only two weeks in the job when it came to light that he had purchased 17,000 Ajax shares a week before his appointment was announced. This has left the club searching for a new chief executive, coach, director of football and an academy boss in the summer following one of the most turbulent seasons in their 124-year history.

The crisis deepened further when a widespread fan protest over Kroes' sacking led to the resignation of three of the club's five directors. Kroes is insisting on getting his job back, claiming his dismissal does not comply with Dutch stock market regulations.

If he is successful, he will once again put Ten Hag at the top of his managerial wish-list. Ajax have also been considering former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter and Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders.

However, they now believe Potter is already being lined up for another high-profile job - with Ratcliffe and INEOS chief Dave Brailsford known to be big admirers. And there is a sentiment in Amsterdam that Lijnders does not have enough experience to take the role at such a challenging time despite working so successfully alongside Jurgen Klopp.