Erik ten Hag could hand Man Utd a lifeline in January transfer window as secret contract clause comes to light

Manchester United could be handed a surprise lifeline from none other than their former boss Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag was sacked in October after a dire run of form, with an away defeat to West Ham the final straw for the Dutchman.

At the time United were in 14th position when Ten Hag was given the boot but things have not improved under Ruben Amorim as they remain lurched in the bottom half of the table and have won just two games out of their last 10 in the Premier League.

Despite their struggles - and worrying admissions from Amorim that this is "the worst United team in history", the Red Devils do not look likely to complete much notable business in the January transfer window in terms of incomings.

But they could be boosted by news that former manager Ten Hag could be returning to work. According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany, Ten Hag is one of the names in contention if Borussia Dortmund decide to sack Nuri Sahin.

Erik ten Hag could be back in management very soon. Image: Getty

Dortmund are down in tenth in the Bundesliga with as many losses as wins in the league, with former player Sahin under pressure.

The club have many candidates on their shortlist but Ten Hag, who managed Bayern Munich's second team for two years, very much "remains" in the mix according to the latest information.

Ten Hag was in the stands at Signal Iduna Park for the 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen just over a week ago and has a close relationship with Dortmund advisor Matthias Sammer.

He would want a longer contract as opposed to coming in for six months and if he was to take the Dortmund job, Ten Hag would need to settle his severance package with United.

The 54-year-old was relieved of his duties just months after signing a new one-year extension at Old Trafford and The Athletic reported that his severance package could be as much as £16 million.

At the time, the report stated: “Ten Hag had 21 months remaining on his extended United deal and it has been widely reported previously that the 54-year-old earned £9 million ($11.9m) a year, a sum trimmed by the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League this season.”

If he was to make an imminent return to management, it would appear as though Ten Hag would not be entitled to the full amount.

Ten Hag finished his stint at United with a 55% win percentage, lifting both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his tenure.