Manchester United have learned how much it will cost them to hire Erik ten Hag as their new manager. The Ajax boss has become the hot favourite to take over this summer ahead of Mauricio Pochettino.

United have been told it will cost them £4.2million to prise Ten Hag out of his Ajax contract. The Red Devils have a good relationship with the Dutch club where former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is chief executive and they have already indicated they will not stand in the coach’s way.

That would be a remarkably low total outlay and gives the Old Trafford outfit another reason to make the 53-year-old their next manager. The Ajax boss was formally interviewed by the club this week.

As well as Ten Hag, United are planning to speak to plenty of other candidates. Paris Saint-Germain coach Pochettino will be in line for an interview after he emerged as the early favourite to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked in November.

Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui and Spain’s Luis Enrique are also set to be talked to but Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is not seen as a viable option. But fans have made Ten Hag their favourite option already while his compensation package will not cost the club much.

According to the Daily Mail, the total outlay would cost United £4.2m – which is less than half of what it would to do the same for Pochettino – a reported £8.4m earlier this season. United have a fine relationship with Ajax through club legend Van der Sar.

The search for a new manager at Old Trafford is being led by football director John Murtough and Darren Fletcher, report the Telegraph. The process started at the start of the month with initial feelers put out via third parties to gauge interest in the role.

Ralf Rangnick was brought in to keep the seat warm after Solskjaer’s dismissal earlier this campaign but the German coach is not expected to hold onto the role past the end of the season. The former RB Leipzig director will move into a consultancy role this summer after penning a two-year contract, though his specific duties are yet to come to light.

Ten Hag has plenty of admirers at Old Trafford, while the former Bayern Munich II boss was interviewed by Tottenham before the job went to Nuno Espirito Santo. And while many had considered Pochettino as the favourite, the former Spurs coach is now facing a tough situation.

The exit from the Champions League has angered fans at the Parc des Princes following their collapse against Real Madrid in the first knockout stage. It even led to Lionel Messi and Neymar being booed and heckled with every touch by their own supporters in the next home match.

Whoever is given the role at United will have an almighty rebuilding task with plenty of players wanting to leave. Bringing in two midfielders and a striker are top of the agenda in terms of incomings as well.