Ex-Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag approached over unlikely return to former club following brutal Bayer Leverkusen sacking

Ten Hag, who was appointed as successor to Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso over the summer, was given just two Bundesliga games at the helm of Leverkusen. They saw enough during that short tenure to suggest that the agreement was the wrong option for all concerned.

Ten Hag had previously been relieved of his duties at Old Trafford in October 2024, with the Red Devils parting with his services despite enjoying FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs under the one-time Ajax coach.

It has now been revealed that Ten Hag was approached by FC Twente after hitting the market once more, with the 55-year-old having taken in three spells with the Eredivisie outfit in his playing days.

Twente have parted company with Joseph Oosting, leaving them with a void to fill in their dugout. Technical director Jan Streuer has said of the search for a new boss: “I’ve only made inquiries. I haven’t had a proper conversation with anyone yet.

“I’ve made a few phone calls to inquire about the situation of certain managers. [Mark] van Bommel and Ten Hag were among them, along with a few others. Some are still committed to a club, while others are free.

“It might seem like we’ve already sat down with Van Bommel, but it was just a phone call. He wanted to bring four of his own people. Some coaches work that way, and I can understand that, that you want to work with people you know well. But we also have confidence in our own people. And we’re not going to fire three or four people just to appoint a new coach.”

With Ten Hag seemingly out of the running, as he waits on other offers, it is being suggested that another man with ties to Manchester United - ex-Red Devils striker and caretaker coach Ruud van Nistelrooy - could be lured back to the Netherlands by Twente after seeing his 27-game spell in charge of Leicester City brought to a close in June.