Manchester United have kept faith in Erik ten Hag after a difficult season on the pitch, but the former Ajax manager only has one year remaining on his current contract
A contract extension for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United won’t be a straightforward matter, the manager has claimed.
Ten Hag will stay on at Old Trafford after leading the club to FA Cup glory, with the club’s higher-ups deciding to keep faith with the Dutchman following a season review. An eighth place finish had appeared to leave his role in jeopardy, but he will be given time to turn things around.
The former Ajax boss is expected to have less of a say in transfers as a new era under Sir Jim Ratcliffe gets underway. This summer’s window is the first since the Ineos chief’s investment in the club was confirmed, and there have already been some notable hires behind the scenes.
While Ten Hag’s role is safe, it remains the case that only one year remains on his current contract. He could yet agree an extension, but explained this isn’t as easy as some might have thought.
Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, Ten Hag said he had received confirmation United spoke with Thomas Tuchel over potentially replacing him in the dugout. The former Chelsea boss was a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich after the end of the 2023-24 season.
“Manchester United and I still have to find an agreement for the new contract,” Ten Hag said. “This isn’t easily done, we are still going to have to talk about this.
“United have told me that they spoke with Tuchel, but they eventually came to the conclusion that they already have the best manager” he added. Ten Hag said United’s higher-ups flew to Ibiza, where he was away on a planned holiday, to meet with him before confirming their decision.
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“Ineos took their time,” he continued. “They are new in football, it’s normal to reflect the season. It’s no secret that they talked with multiple candidates.
“Here in Holland this is ‘not done,’ in fact, it’s not even allowed here. But in England they have different rules and laws.
“As in any organisation, and that seems very sensible to me, there is an evaluation. Conclusions were drawn from there. The new leadership is playing football for the first time.”
United’s 60-point tally last season was 15 adrift of the 75 they earned in Ten Hag’s first season in charge, when they finished third in the Premier League. Their lowly finish means they won’t be in the Champions League next term, but victory in the FA Cup final was enough to qualify for the Europa League – a competition in which they made it to the quarter-finals in 2023 and the final under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer two years before that.
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