Erik ten Hag new favourite to become the next Man Utd manager

There's a new frontrunner in the betting for the permanent Man Utd job.

That's right, Mauricio Pochettino is no longer the bookmakers' favourite to become the club's full-time manager for the start of the 2022/23 season.

The PSG boss had led the way in the betting over the course of the last couple of months, and while he remains right in the frame at 7/2 with Paddy Power, it's Erik ten Hag who now tops the market.

The Ajax boss was previously priced at 13/2 to replace interim boss Ralf Rangnick in the summer, odds which have now been cut to just 2/1.

Rangnick has drifted to 9/2, while France's World Cup-winning boss Didier Deschamps is a surprise mover to just 11/2, alongside Leicester's Brendan Rodgers.

Atletico Madrid's long-serving manager Diego Simeone can be backed at 12/1, ahead of Wolves' Bruno Lage and Tottenham's Antonio Conte who can both be found at 16/1.

Last April, when it looked like he was on the verge of taking charge of Spurs, it was suddenly revealed that Ten Hag had signed a contract extension at Ajax through to June 2023.

Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Man Utd exit in November, the Dutchman has been frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford.

It was reported earlier this month that Ten Hag is one of four managers under consideration by the Red Devils; a list which also features Pochettino and the Spanish duo of Luis Enrique (Spain manager) and Julen Lopetegui (Sevilla).

The attraction is obvious. Ten Hag is a talented, progressive manager who employs the attacking and exciting brand of football which Man Utd are desperate to rediscover.

He's been a huge success at Ajax since he replaced Marcel Keizer in later 2017. The 51-year-old, who previously worked with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, currently has his troops top of the Eredivisie as he chases a third league title in four years.

The Dutch giants recently moved two points clear of PSV at the summit following a 2-1 win away to their rivals, which was their 15th win from 20 games in a season in which they've scored 61 goals and conceded just five.

Ten Hag's Ajax also have a KNVB Cup quarter-final to look forward to as they look to lift the trophy for the third time since his arrival, while they face Benfica in the last-16 of the Champions League; a competition which has so far seen them win all six games to date.