Manchester City reportedly considered Erik ten Hag as being a possible candidate to replace Pep Guardiola in the future.
The two managers are set to face off against each other this weekend as the Citizens travel to Old Trafford for their latest Premier League match.
In the build-up to this game, some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the Manchester United manager and how City viewed him prior to his appointment at Old Trafford back in April last year.
City considered Ten Hag as Guardiola successor
According to a recent report from The Independent, City had considered Ten Hag as a potential successor to Guardiola based on the “tactical alignment” between the two managers.
During his time at Ajax, the 53-year-old overlooked 215 games across all competitions, winning 159 of them, drawing 27 and losing 29.
Since taking the reins at United, the Dutchman has taken charge of 75 matches, winning 69, one of which saw the Red Devils beat Newcastle United in last season’s Carabao Cup final, drawing eight and losing 18.
Having a possession-based attacking tactical system, this could be why the hierarchy at City had Ten Hag in mind in terms of being a potential successor to Guardiola.
The two managers have faced off against each other three times in total, with Guardiola winning two and Ten Hag winning one.
With the Spaniard’s contract at City not set to expire until 2025, it seems unlikely now that Ten Hag will be a likely candidate to replace him, regardless of whether or not he’s still at United at whatever point Guardiola decides to call it a day at the Etihad Stadium.
Moving forward, if the City manager can get another win over Ten Hag, this will further increase his reputation as being the best coach in the league and take his side a step closer to regaining the Premier League title.
