Newcastle struggling to convince Ajax boss Erik ten Hag to take job - report

Erik ten Hag
(Image credit: PA)

Newcastle face an uphill battle to convince Ajax manager Erik ten Hag to take charge at St James' Park, according to reports.

The club was taken over by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund earlier this month.

Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties following his 1000th game in management, a 3-2 defeat by Tottenham.

Graeme Jones is currently in interim charge of the Magpies while the board looks for a permanent successor to Bruce.

And the pressure is beginning to build after Newcastle's winless run at the start of the season was extended to 10 games with a 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

The club with the wealthiest owners in world football currently sits second-bottom of the Premier League table.

The search for a new manager is also proving difficult, with the Sunday Mirror reporting that Ten Hag is unlikely to take the job.

The new owners are said to be planning a charm offensive to try and lure the Dutchman away from Ajax.

They also want to appoint Marc Overmars, the Eredivisie side's direct of football, in a similar role at St James' Park.

But it would take a massive effort for Newcastle to successfully persuade Ten Hag to leave Ajax for the Magpies.

In his current position the 51-year-old is competing for silverware and leading a talented team in the Champions League.

He is settled in Amsterdam and is now into his fifth season at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Newcastle would be able to offer Ten Hag a huge pay rise, thought to be five times more than the £2m he currently pockets per year.

But Ten Hag is not enticed by the prospect of taking over at a club battling relegation from the Premier League.

He is also on Barcelona's shortlist as they seek a replacement for Ronald Koeman, while Ten Hag's name has also been put forward as a possible candidate for Manchester United.

It is hard to see him swapping all that for a dogfight with Newcastle.

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