But Ajax have sacked new chief executive Alex Kroes in the aftermath of an insider trading scandal that has plunged the club into crisis.
Ten Hag is fighting for his job after a miserable Premier League campaign and an early Champions League exit.
If he is successful, he will once again put Ten Hag at the top of his managerial wish-list.
Ajax have also been looking at former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter and Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders.
But they now believe Potter is already being lined up for another high-profile job - with Ratcliffe and INEOS chief Dave Brailsford known to be big admirers.
Crisis-hit Dutch giants will look to bring back their former boss - if sacked chief executive wins his fight to be reinstated after shares row
Exclusive: Erik ten Hag could be handed Ajax escape route after being kept in limbo by Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Erik ten Hag is at the centre of a power struggle at former club Ajax as he waits to hear if Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is prepared to give him the vote of confidence he wants by offering him a new contract.
Ten Hag was targeted for a sensational return to the Dutch giants when it appeared that Ratcliffe would bring in his own manager after taking control of football operations at Old Trafford following his £1.3million buy-in.
But Ajax have sacked new chief executive Alex Kroes in the aftermath of an insider trading scandal that has plunged the club into crisis.
Kroes is a lifetime friend of Ten Hag’s powerful agent Kees Vos - and he was ready to offer the 54-year-old the chance to return to Amsterdam if he parted company with United in the summer.
Ten Hag is fighting for his job after a miserable Premier League campaign and an early Champions League exit. And the FA Cup semi-final clash with Coventry is a must-win game for the Dutchman.
But sources close to Ten Hag believe he will walk out at the end of the season if he doesn't get assurances from Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group about their commitment to him.
He has just over a year on his existing deal and there have been no talks about renewing the three-year agreement he signed in the summer of 2022.
United have an option to trigger a 12-month extension - but that would not stop him resigning if he felt he was fighting a losing battle.
Image: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images) Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Now the tale has taken another twist, with Ajax’s hardcore fans demanding Kroes’ reinstatement.
He was sacked last month after just two weeks in the job when it emerged he had bought 17,000 Ajax shares a week before his appointment was announced.
That has left the club looking for a new chief executive, coach, director of football and an academy boss in the summer following one of the most turbulent seasons in their 124-year history.
The crisis deepened further when a widespread fan protest over Kroes’ sacking led to the resignation of three of the club’s five directors.
Image: AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images)
Kroes is demanding he gets his job back after insisting his dismissal does not adhere to Dutch stock market regulations.
If he is successful, he will once again put Ten Hag at the top of his managerial wish-list.
Ajax have also been looking at former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter and Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders.
But they now believe Potter is already being lined up for another high-profile job - with Ratcliffe and INEOS chief Dave Brailsford known to be big admirers.
And there is a feeling in Amsterdam that Lijnders does not have enough experience to take the role at such a testing time despite working so successfully alongside Jurgen Klopp.
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