Marc Overmars ‘wants Man Utd next manager option with him’ at Newcastle over Paulo Fonseca

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Marc Overmars reportedly wants to appoint Erik ten Hag as Newcastle’s new manager if he takes the role of director of football with the Premier League club. Overmars, currently in a similar position at Ajax, has worked with Ten Hag at the Eredivisie giants and is keen to bring him to England.

Overmars is believed to have been targeted by the Tyneside outfit following their £305million takeover by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The club’s new owners have already made their first major decision, sacking Steve Bruce after the 3-2 defeat against Tottenham last Sunday.

The Saudi-led consortium are keen to install a new manager in the dugout, with talks ongoing with former Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca.

But according to The Mirror, Overmars would like to continue his long-standing professional relationship with Ten Hag by handing him the job instead after holding talks with the Premier League club.

Overmars holds a close relationship with the former defender, having helped him enter the management sphere when he became boss of Go Ahead Eagles.

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The pair have enjoyed success together at Ajax since his arrival in 2017, winning two Eredivisie titles and KNVB Cup trophies for good measure.

The Dutchman was targeted by Tottenham and Barcelona over the summer, but opted to stick with Ajax by signing a one-year contract extension.

Ten Hag has been consistently linked with top jobs in Europe, including Chelsea, Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

He is also understood to have been lined up as a potential replacement for under-pressure Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

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But up until now, the highly-rated coach has ignored overtures from other clubs, claiming he has been content with life in Amsterdam.

It may be difficult to convince the coach to leave, considering Ajax are top of their Champions League group with three wins from three games.

The Dutch side are also top of the league standings, while Newcastle are languishing in the relegation zone after a rocky start to the season under Bruce.

Newcastle’s managerial shortlist also includes former Dortmund coach Lucien Favre and ex-Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe.

Other names linked include Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, with more high-profile coaches such as Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane reportedly snubbing the chance to take the job.

Ten Hag led Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 and the Dutch club have benefited from some shrewd transfer moves and an impressive youth policy in that time.

Overmars has been in the role since 2012 but may welcome the chance to take part in a new project, having seen the likes of Donny van de Beek, Frankie de Jong and Matthis de Ligt all sold over the past two years.

But Ten Hag has poured cold water on any chance of himself and Overmars leaving the club, insisting he has had no contact with the 51-year-old about the job.

“The position of technical director is one for the long term. Marc set things in motion a few years ago,” he said.

“He did this from a certain vision, he introduced structure and managed. It’s started to grow and I don’t think the process is over yet.

“Marc hasn’t informed me [about the Newcastle interest]. I don’t think he’s withholding anything from me either.

“I’m not working on [going to Newcastle] and now is definitely not the time.”

Newcastle began life without Steve Bruce with a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, with his former assistant Graeme Jones taking temporary charge.

The Magpies have remain winless from nine games this season and are still in 19th place, only above rock-bottom Norwich City, who are also yet to win.

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