Erik ten Hag and Graham Potter ‘lead Ajax’s three-man managerial shortlist’ alongside Ligue 1 boss amid mounting uncertainty over the Dutchman’s Man United future

Ajax’s hunt for a new manager has reportedly seen former boss Erik ten Hag moved to the front of the queue, alongside Graham Potter, on their three-man shortlist.

The Dutchman left the Amsterdam giants in 2022 to become manager of Manchester United, but his second season at the helm at Old Trafford leaves his immediate future far from certain.

At Ajax, he won plaudits for his role in building the 2018/2019 team, which captured the hearts of football fans in a fairytale run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, beating the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.

But despite Man United having had what is considered a poor campaign by their standards in sixth place, Ten Hag is reportedly being linked with a return to his former club.

Dutch publication De Telegraaf reports that Ten Hag, former Chelsea boss Potter and Nice manager Francesco Farioli are all considered candidates for the vacant full-time role.

Ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter has increasingly been linked to the post

Ajax has had an extremely difficult season, with many changes behind closed doors and poor performances on the field

However, Ten Hag is a name linked to success in his homeland, and at a time when Ajax are struggling, a return to one of the more successful periods in recent history could provide a much-needed boost.

Ajax has traditionally been the leading power in Dutch football, but this season they are in fifth place, a whopping 35 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.

It was a troubled campaign in Amsterdam, with matches postponed due to fan protests, management casualties, behind-the-scenes controversies and performances that were well below par.

Under Ten Hag, Ajax won 159 times in 215 appearances and left the club with a points-per-match ratio of 2.34.

He also added three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch cups and a Dutch Super Cup to the already bulging trophy cabinet of the Godenzonen.

Potter is on Ten Hag’s shortlist, according to the report, and has yet to join a new club since being sacked by Chelsea midway through last season.

The former Brighton boss has been linked with the Dutch side on a number of occasions, with reports suggesting he had turned down the role earlier this month.

Mail Sport reported that the former Chelsea and Brighton boss had held talks with the struggling Dutch giants earlier this month, although it was believed he was keeping his options open at that stage.

Ten Hag won six major honors at Ajax during his previous tenure, including three national titles

Francseco Farioli has also been linked with the role after an impressive debut season with Nice

John van ‘t Schip took over in October, but will leave the club at the end of the season

The club’s new CEO, Alex Kroes, was suspended after they accused him of ‘insider trading’

The 48-year-old has been out of work since being sacked at Stamford Bridge last April after poor form in a season that ended with the Blues languishing in 12th place in the Premier League.

Just seven months into a five-year contract, Potter was believed to be looking for the right club with a clear strategy and was happy to remain patient until the right club emerged.

According to ESPN Netherlands, he’s one step closer to that reality. They report that Potter and Ajax are in ‘very serious stages’ and that he could travel to Amsterdam on Wednesday or Thursday.

The third candidate on Ajax’s list, Farioli, has had an exceptional season at Nice. He took the southern French team to fifth place and lost only eight of the thirty league matches in which he was in charge.