Bayer Leverkusen have reached an agreement to appoint Erik ten Hag as their new head coach, according to David Ornstein.
The Dutchman will be back in the dugout for the new season. Ten Hag has been out of a job since his sacking by Manchester United in October following a rotten start to the season, which has since turned into the club’s worst campaign in their history.
Ten Hag has made no secret of his desire to get back in the game this summer, and Bundesliga runners-up Bayer Leverkusen are now set to give him a shot at redemption after his disappointing stint at Man Utd.
Alonso is expected to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid imminently, so Leverkusen have been hard at work trying to secure a successor.
Leverkusen appoint Ten Hag
Leverkusen hiring Ten Hag wasn’t a straightforward affair, despite the Dutchman making it very clear early on that he would be keen on the job. After initial contact with the 55-year-old, the Bundesliga side actually decided to focus on Como boss Cesc Fabregas instead.
Bayer felt that Fabregas would have been a better stylistic fit given his similarities to Alonso, but the Spaniard ultimately decided to turn down a move to Germany in favour of staying with the club he partially owns.
Over the past 48 or so hours, Leverkusen held fresh talks with Ten Hag and emphasised that he was now their top target to succeed Alonso. An agreement is now in place for the Dutchman to take charge of the side, with only the final paperwork pending.
Ten Hag will have to oversee a huge rebuild this summer, although that could actually work in his favour as he will have the opportunity to shape Bayer’s team in his image. Vice-captain Jonathan Tah, superstar Florian Wirtz and several other key players are expected to leave.
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