Ten Hag set to lose out on major European job to surprise veteran – report

AS Roma may bypass Erik ten Hag in their search for a new manager, with the club strongly considering a return for seasoned Italian manager Claudio Ranieri.

The Serie A club urgently seeks stability after a tumultuous season that has already seen the dismissal of two managers, Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric.

Roma currently sits 12th in the Serie A standings, having secured only three wins from 12 league matches, and hopes are high that an experienced hand like Ranieri could steady the ship.

Ranieri celebrated his 2016 Premier League title win with Leicester City and retired from club management last season after a stint with Cagliari, where he declared it would be his previous role.

However, Italian sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Ranieri could be persuaded to make a surprising comeback, given Roma’s dire need for an experienced figure to guide the team through its challenges.

The 73-year-old reportedly travelled to London for discussions with Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin, and a decision is anticipated by Wednesday.

If appointed, this would mark Ranieri’s third tenure at Roma, following his previous spells from 2009 to 2011 and briefly in 2019.

Despite rumours linking Ten Hag to the job following his recent exit from United, Roma appears focused on Ranieri due to his familiarity with the club and the Italian league.

Ten Hag, dismissed by Man United after a rocky start to the season, was spotted over the weekend at his former club, Ajax. This has fuelled speculation that he may consider returning to Dutch football.

In his brief absence, United appointed Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager and then confirmed Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim as their permanent replacement.