Live : Ten hag interview ongoing for Manchester United job will he get it not ,watch this now .

 Erik ten Hag has been interviewed

 for the Manchester United job, 

Sportsmail can reveal.

The 52-year-old Ajax coach spoke 

to United on Monday as the club 

stepped up its search for a permanent

 replacement to take over from 

Ralf Rangnick next season.

United sources on Tuesday said a 

number of candidates are being

 interviewed from a list that includes Mauricio 

Pochentino , Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique.

Thomas Tuchel is no longer considered 

a viable option. Ten Hag, previously 

linked with Tottenham and Newcastle,

 is the bookies’ favourite to take over.

United hope to make a decision 

before the end of next month and have

 the new man in place as soon as 

possible after the end of the season.

Confirmation that the 52-year-old spoke 

to United will only crank up the noise 

about him now being the outright 

favourite to take over at Old Trafford 

in the summer.

United are urging caution over the 

Ten Hag speculation. Sources insist 

that a research process overseen 

by football director John Murtough 

and technical director Darren Fletcher 

 

was only completed at the start of 

this month, allowing initial conversations

 with candidates to get underway 

which have now evolved into formal

 interviews.

There is an acceptance at United that 

too many stars would have to align for 

Tuchel to leave Chelsea while the crisis

-hit club is still looking for new owners.

It may take some time for Tuchel’s 

future to become clear, and United 

want to have the new man in place 

as soon after the end of this season

 as possible.

Pochettino, in particular, has been 

the main contender alongside Ten 

Hag ever since United installed Ralf

 Rangnick as interim boss.

However, his odds have drifted in 

recent days and there is a growing 

suspicion in the Argentine’s camp 

that the job is now Ten Hag’s to lose.

At Ajax, meanwhile, the expectancy

 is that their coach will leave at the 

end of this campaign.

United will also have to speak to 

his formidable agent Kees Vos, 

who negotiated Robin van Persie’s 

move to Old Trafford from Arsenal a 

decade ago and only recently added

 Guardiola’s brother Pere to his 

Sports Entertainment Group.

Ajax have indicated they will not stand

 in Ten Hag’s way and have a good 

relationship with United through their

 chief executive Edwin van der 

Sar ,but there would still be compensation

in the region of £4million.

For now, though, it remains hypothetical

. United say there is a long way to 

go in this process and there is no front-runner.