Two years after making their initial attempt, Manchester United may eventually acquire Ajax striker Brian Brobbey, and a reliable source has indicated that Erik ten Hag’s future will be crucial.

In the summer of 2022, the Red Devils made an effort to get Ten Hag and Brobbey back together. Ten Hag had just taken over at Old Trafford and had previously coached Brobbey at Ajax.

However, after a difficult time with RB Leipzig, Brobbey decided to return to Ajax. The frontman recently gave Dutch publication De Telegraaf an explanation of his thinking.

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“I really wanted to go back to Ajax permanently, but Manchester United wanted me,” Brobbey stated.

“My agent, Jose Fortes Rodriguez, even waived his substantial resale share to make this happen.

“From Man United, Erik ten Hag gave me a call. My agent could have made millions, and I could have made many times as much as I did at Ajax. However, we had already decided that we wanted to visit Ajax.

But even after signing Rasmus Hojlund in the summer of last year, Man Utd are still looking for a striker 18 months later.

Anthony Martial is Hojlund’s main backup, but his tenure at Old Trafford is drawing to a close.

United has decided not to exercise Martial’s contract’s one-year option. Therefore, at the end of the season, Martial will be a free agent if he is not signed this month.

This season, Brobbey has been an uncommon bright spot for Ajax, with 13 goals and four assists in 25 games across all competitions.

At the end of 2023, the 21-year-old right-footer also made his senior debut for the Netherlands.

Although a summer move is more likely, Ten Hag still wants Brobbey.

Ten Hag reportedly told Man Utd to approve Brobbey’s next transfer, according to a report published in The Mirror. Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany said that there is a good likelihood that any such action will be successful.

Plettenberg claimed on X that there has never been a communication breakdown between Man Utd and Brobbey’s team, and that there is a great deal of mutual respect between the two parties.

Although desired, a winter window change is unlikely for two reasons. To begin with, United has very little money to spend, and Ajax won’t consider holding a mid-season sale.

Come summertime, though, things will be different, as Plettenberg predicts that a transfer at the end of the season will once again be a hot subject.

Plettenberg also emphasised that Brobbey’s future at Manchester United probably depends on Erik ten Hag continuing as the team’s manager.

This term’s performance has been lacking, and because Sir Jim Ratcliffe will soon be in charge, there has been conjecture that Ten Hag would be fired in order to start over in a fresh way.

However, Brobbey might be the next in a long line of Ajax-connected players to follow Ten Hag to Old Trafford if he does enough to persuade the team’s new part-owner that he deserves more time.