Mitchell van der Gaag, Erik ten Hag’s assistant manager at Manchester United, has reassured the Premier League club that he has no interest in taking up the role of the new coach at Ajax.
Ajax is in search of a new manager following the dismissal of Mauric Steijn on Monday. Louis van Gaal had pinpointed Van der Gaag as the prime candidate to succeed Steijn.
Ajax had inquired about the existence of any escape clauses in Van der Gaag’s contract with Manchester United and the compensation terms involved. However, they have decided not to pursue Van der Gaag, as the 51-year-old has explicitly expressed his commitment to staying loyal to Ten Hag.
Van der Gaag has emerged as a valuable advisor to Ten Hag, having previously served as his assistant at Ajax for two years before joining him at Manchester United in the summer of 2022.
