"I would call Manchester United and say guys you have to take him" - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola delivers honest verdict on the Red Devils' managerial target

Pep Guardiola has weighed in on Manchester United's managerial pursuit and has said the Red Devils should appoint Ajax boss Erik ten Hag. The Manchester City boss said he would call his crosstown rivals and tell them to appoint the Dutchman as the successor to Ralf Rangnick.

United are set to decide on their next manager with Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino considered to be the frontrunners for the job. The pendulum does seem to be swinging towards the Dutchman as the Daily Mail claims he is the 'clear favorite' for the job.

Guardiola worked briefly with Ten Hag during his time at Bayern Munich, where the latter worked as the German club's reserve team manager. The Manchester City boss delivered his honest verdict on Manchester United's managerial pursuit and said he would certainly recommend Ten Hag to his arch-rivals.

The 51-year-old tactician believes the Ajax boss has all the right attributes to succeed at Manchester United. He said he would even ring up the Red Devils and ask them to sign Ten Hag. He said (as seen in the Mirror)

"We spoke quite regularly and he is just an incredible person and human being. I was surprised at how humble he was. For his qualities, just take a look at his Ajax team in the last years. It is a joy to watch. In many, many games, not just the year they got to the Champions League semi-final (in 2019)."

"In terms of qualities, just look at his teams. To define a manager, watch his team for a long time. This is a team, and this manager makes the players play. There is no doubt about that. If I was 100 per cent sure I would call Manchester United and say 'guys you have to take him', but nobody knows," said Guardiola.

The 52-year-old has been instrumental in Ajax's success in recent years. He has won two Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups and the Johan Cryuff Shield once. He finished fourth in 'the Best FIFA Men's Coach' rankings in 2019.

Manchester United managerial target Erik ten Hag remains coy on his future at Ajax

In a recent interview, Ten Hag remained coy on his future at Ajax as he refused to rule out a move to Old Trafford. While he insisted that his focus is on the Dutch giants at the moment, the 52-year-old tactician insisted that one can't predict what will happen in football.

"My focus at the moment is only on Ajax. But in football, you never know. I don't want to rule anything out. I'm currently employed here at Ajax to perform. We now have eight finals with the cup final against Eindhoven, for that, I need all my energy," said Ten Hag.

When quizzed about Manchester United's interest in him and if he had talks with them, Ten Hag said that there are always talks with representatives of other clubs. He also praised the Red Devils by saying they're a great club with great fans.

"People know each other in the industry. There are always talks with representatives of other clubs, which is normal. Manchester United is a great club with great fans. But I can only repeat myself: My full focus is completely on Ajax! Incidentally, we are already planning for the new season," said Ten Hag.

The majority of Manchester United fans want the Dutchman at the helm and we could get more clarity on the club's managerial pursuit in the coming days.