Leverkusen interested in Erik ten Hag

Bayer Leverkusen’s quest for a new manager to replace the Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso continues: they are very interested in former Ajax and Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag, as per Kicker and Sky Germany.

Who is going to replace Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen if he leaves for Real Madrid this summer? After a recent report linked Real Sociedad’s Imanol Alguacil to the German club, Kicker and Sky Germany now bring a new candidate to the table: Erik ten Hag.

The former Ajax and Manchester United coach is still highly regarded in Germany, even though his time in England especially was seen as quite a mess towards the end.

ten Hag was already a candidate for other German clubs during the 2024/25 season and was heavily linked with RB Leipzig – but he himself didn’t want to join a club mid-season.

While ten Hag hasn’t managed in the Bundesliga yet, he already has some coaching experience in Germany: he managed Bayern Munich’s 2nd team for 72 games (2,14 points per game) between 2013 and 2015, before joining Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Since Xabi Alonso’s parting has been a long time coming (and looks very likely this summer), Leverkusen have had a lot of time scouting the market in advance. Erik ten Hag has joined the list of the Werkself, but they will be waiting for Alonso’s official decision before advancing any further.