Erik ten Hag and Graham Potter 'lead Ajax's three-man managerial shortlist'

Ajax's hunt for a new manager has reportedly seen them place former boss Erik ten Hag at the front of the queue, alongside Graham Potter, in their three-man shortlist.

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

At Ajax he gained widespread acclaim for his role in building the team of 2018-19 which captured the hearts of football fans in a fairytale run to the Champions League semi-finals, beating the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus along the way.

Yet despite Man United having what is widely considered to be a poor campaign by their standards stranded in sixth, Ten Hag reportedly finds himself 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 being considered as candidates for the vacant full-time role.

Ten Hag is a name linked with success in his home country however, and at a time when Ajax are struggling a return to one of their more successful periods in recent history may provide the much-needed boost.

Ajax have traditionally been the leading power in Dutch football, however this term they find themselves down in fifth a whopping 35 points short of leaders PSV Eindhoven.

It has been a campaign of turmoil in Amsterdam, with matches delayed through supporter protests, managerial casualties, controversy behind the scenes and performances that are well below par.

Under Ten Hag Ajax won 159 times in 215 appearances, and he 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