Why Ten Hag to Bayern Munich could be the perfect outcome for Man Utd

Suraj Radia

• 6 May 2024 11:30 BST
• 4 min read

Erik ten Hag is believed to have emerged as a potential candidate to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich in a move that could be the perfect solution to the Manchester United manager’s tense situation.

Ten Hag is facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford after a disappointing season which has seen United humiliated in Europe and miss out on Champions League football for next year.

United will feature in a second successive FA Cup final at the end of the month and no decision will be made on Ten Hag’s future until then but the belief is that new partial owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe could opt for the club to go in a different direction.

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However, a stumbling block for United would be the excessive compensation required to sack Ten Hag despite only having a year left on his contract, particularly given the tight constraints the club expect to operate with in the transfer market this summer.

Which is why an approach from Bayern would offer United an amicable and cost-beneficial way to end Ten Hag’s tenure, while also giving the Bundesliga giants an answer to their own managerial conundrum.

With the added element that Tuchel would also be a frontrunner for any vacancy at United, a potential ‘manager swap’ with Bayern may end up as a win for all parties – providing both coaches learn from mistakes made in their current roles.

Tuchel and ETH proving to be the problem and the answer

Bayern themselves have struggled to find a successor to Tuchel since announcing in February that the German boss would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Having seen preferred candidates such as Xabi Alonso and Ralf Rangnick turn down the opportunity to replace Tuchel, Bayern have been scrambling to find a coach even willing to take the job, which has led them to Ten Hag.

The ex-Ajax boss has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to United but a return to Bayern, where he managed the club’s reserve side between 2013 and 2015, may prove tempting given the toxicity surrounding his future in Manchester.

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It is an animosity that has been somewhat mirrored by Tuchel in Munich, despite Bayern’s progress in the Champions League, and both managers have parallels in their stance over discipline and perhaps turbulent history of falling out with pivotal figures at clubs.

However, both managers would argue that any negativity is a result of the environment around them and less about their own style – something which may not bode well for the long-term future if there was to be a swap of positions.

But, in the short-term, there appears to be no ideal solution for any team and, particularly for Ten Hag and United, a change of scenery could help restore the happiness for both club and manager going forward.