Borussia Dortmund make Erik ten Hag decision after sacking manager | OneFootball

Erik ten Hag, who had been tipped to take over as Borussia Dortmund manager, will not be replacing Nuri Sahin after his sacking on Wednesday, reports in Germany claim.

Sahin, who only took charge of Dortmund in the summer, was relieved of his duties in the wake of the 2-1 defeat to Bologna in the Champions League, though it's the club's underperformance in the Bundesliga that is largely responsible for his dismissal.

Dortmund are sitting a dismal 10th in the Bundesliga table after winning just seven of their 18 matches and have lost their last three in a row - the defeat to Bologna only adding to the former Turkey midfielder's misery.

There had been mounting speculation about Sahin's future in recent weeks, amid repeated claims that Ten Hag was a serious candidate to take over the reins.

Ten Hag has been a regular guest at Dortmund games since his departure from United in October, owing to his close relationship with club advisor Matthias Sammer.

Despite his frequent presence in the stands, Ten Hag, who attended the game in Bologna, is not expected to be in the running for the vacant Dortmund job. Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg states the cost of a deal for the Dutchman, who remains on United's payroll after his October dismissal, is simply too high.

Ten Hag signed a new United contract in July, just three months before his exit, which ties him to the Red Devils until 2026.

Instead, Dortmund are believed to be working on a deal to hire Niko Kovac. A former Bayern Munich boss, Kovac is available immediately following his departure from Wolfsburg in March 2024.

As for Ten Hag, The Athletic state he has no plans to return to work immediately and instead wants to analyse the options available to him in the summer.