Bayer Leverkusen reach agreement in principle to appoint Erik ten Hag | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen have reached an agreement in principle to appoint Erik ten Hag as their new head coach.

The 55-year-old is expected to take over from Xabi Alonso, who is set to become Real Madrid’s next manager after leading Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2023-24.

Ten Hag has been out of work since October, when he was dismissed by Manchester United following a poor start to the season. At the time of his departure, United were 14th in the Premier League and had won just four of their opening 14 matches.

Despite that difficult campaign, Ten Hag departs English football with two major honours. He won the Carabao Cup in 2022-23, ending United’s six-year trophy drought and added the FA Cup in his second season.

Talks with Leverkusen accelerated after Ajax showed strong interest in bringing Ten Hag back. He had been tipped to return to Amsterdam following Francesco Farioli’s resignation, but Leverkusen’s approach proved decisive.

The Dutchman previously managed Ajax for four and a half years, winning three Eredivisie titles and leading the side to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. That run included memorable victories over Real Madrid and Juventus before their dramatic elimination at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

Ten Hag also has experience in German football, having coached Bayern Munich’s reserve side between 2013 and 2015 while Pep Guardiola was in charge of the first team.

At Leverkusen, he will inherit a squad that made history under Alonso by completing the 2023-24 Bundesliga season unbeaten. However, they failed to retain their domestic crown this term, finishing 13 points behind champions Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen also reached the Europa League final and won the DFB-Pokal in Alonso’s final full season, but finished the current campaign empty-handed.

Alonso received an emotional farewell from fans after confirming his decision to leave for Madrid, where he won La Liga and the Champions League during his playing career.

Ten Hag’s appointment will mark the fifth senior role of his managerial career, following spells at Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich II, Utrecht, Ajax and Manchester United.

Leverkusen are now finalising the necessary documentation to complete the deal and are expected to confirm the Dutchman’s arrival in the coming days.