Erik ten Hag has rejected a chance to return to Champions League management after he was sacked by Bayer Leverkusen.
The former Manchester United boss was relieved of his duties with the Bundesliga side in August after taking charge of just three matches.
He has been linked with a handful of managerial openings since, with some reports linking him to the vacant Wolves job after Vitor Pereira’s dismissal.
According to new reports in the Netherlands, though, he has turned down the opportunity to take over at his former club Ajax.
The Dutch outfit have been without a head coach since John Heitinga was fired last week with the side badly underperforming in the Champions League. Interim boss Fred Grim has taken the helm.
According to new reports in Dutch outlet AD, Ten Hag held talks over the vacancy but has withdrawn himself from negotiations despite holding several discussions.
Ten Hag managed Ajax for four years between 2018 and 2022, winning three Eredivisie titles before leaving to join Man United.
He has not been tempted by a reunion with the Amsterdam side, though, due to “insufficient basis for a successful collaboration in the short term.”
This follows the resignation of the club’s technical director Alex Kroes, who departed alongside Heitinga. Technical commissioner Danny Blind also departed in September.
Ten Hag is thought to be reluctant to take up a new managerial position after his frustrating spell with Leverkusen.
In a statement released at the time, the Dutchman described the board’s decision as a shock, particularly given the departures of key players in Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.
He wrote: “The decision by Bayer Leverkusen’s management this morning to put me on a leave of absence came as a complete surprise.
“To part ways with a coach after just two league matches is unprecedented.
“This summer, many key players who were part of past successes left the squad. Building a new, cohesive team is a careful process that requires both time and trust.”
