Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was under severe scrutiny at the end of last season but Sir Jim Ratcliffe has retained enough faith to reward him with a new contract
Image: Getty Images)
Erik ten Hag has signed a new contract at Manchester United.
The Dutchman was under severe pressure earlier this year after a miserable Premier League season. New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe conducted a detailed review into his position and even spoke to potential replacements, with Thomas Tuchel among the candidates.
But Ratcliffe eventually chose to leave Ten Hag in situ at Old Trafford following the club's FA Cup success against rivals Manchester City at Wembley. That made it two trophies in two seasons for the Dutchman, and he has been rewarded with a new contract.
Ten Hag had one year left on his £9m-a-year deal, but has agreed a one-year extension, which sees his contract now run until the summer of 2026. He said: “I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together.
“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined. However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles.
“In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together.”
Ten Hag's deal comes after new sporting director Dan Ashworth finally arrived at the club earlier this week from Newcastle. It's believed United paid £12million to end his gardening leave and finally get him through the door.
Ashworth said: “With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football.
“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes. This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level. Nnow we need to do it more consistently.
“With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club.”
Image:
Getty Images)Who should Man United sign this summer? Share your thoughts in the comments below
While Ten Hag remains, there have been alterations to his backroom staff. Former Red Devils striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is returning to the club as a coach alongside his compatriot, having spurned the interest of Championship side Burnley. Van Nistelrooy held two rounds of talks to replace Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor, but elected to return to Old Trafford instead. Go Ahead Eagles manager Rene Hake is also joining as an assistant head coach too.
One member of Ten Hag’s staff that is on the way out is Benni McCarthy. His contract expired this summer and he has departed to pursue his own managerial career.
Ten Hag is under no illusions that he will need to improve on the club’s fortunes next term after a grossly underwhelming Premier League campaign. They slumped to eighth, losing 14 games in the process.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.