Sean O’Brien
30th April 2021,
12: 08 pm
Updated: 30th April 2021,
12: 08 pm
Erik ten Hag looks set to stay at Ajax and reject Tottenham as the Dutch manager agreed an extension to his current deal.
Spurs had identified the Ajax boss as a potential replacement for Jose Mourinho, with Ryan Mason currently in charge of the club on a temporary basis.
But despite the rumours, Ten Hag has committed his future to Ajax by extending his contract, which will now run until 2023 instead of 2022.
While that on its own doesn’t necessarily rule out the Tottenham job, the Dutchman’s comments which came alongside appear to put an end to any talk of a departure.
The 51-year-old, who has been in charge of Ajax since 2017, suggested he was tempted by an approach from Spurs before insisting he remains happy in Amsterdam.
Ten Hag said on the club’s official website: “I know who I am working with, I know what the ideas are, I know what goals we have. I’m happy here.
“I’m busy with where I am at, that’s at Ajax, that’s where my head and heart are at. You know what it is like with outside of football rumour… it tells you that we’re doing good work at Ajax.
“I don’t want to rule out that that could have happened, but I know what I have here.”
Tottenham are thought to want a new manager in place before the end of the campaign, but will now have to look elsewhere.
It is not the first blow the club have suffered in their search for a new boss, after RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann agreed to take the Bayern Munich job next season.
According to Betfair, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is the new favourite, while former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is also in the mix.
