Manchester United are in talks with Erik ten Hag about a new contract after deciding that he will remain their manager for next season.
United concluded their end-of-season review by determining that Ten Hag is the right man to take them forward under the new regime led by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos.
The 54-year-old wants to stay and has held positive talks with United about their assessment of the season. He had been left in limbo for two-and-a-half weeks after winning the FA Cup as United considered whether to sack him.
They had looked into appointing other managers, with Ratcliffe holding talks with the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel last week, while England manager Gareth Southgate has admirers in the Ineos hierarchy. Kieran McKenna, who decided to stay at Ipswich, was also of interest to United.
But while Ten Hag led United to their lowest-ever Premier League finish, in eighth place and a group stage exit from the Champions League, United also considered his return of two trophies in as many years as well as taking them to third in his debut campaign. Ten Hag felt their struggles last season – which he called a “horrible” campaign - were partly attributable to injuries and, in their review of the year, United accepted it was a mitigating factor.
Ten Hag has one year left on his current deal, which was signed when he joined from Ajax in 2022 but an extended deal could make him their longest-serving manager since Sir Alex Ferguson. He was appointed by former CEO Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough, who have both left the club, but got a vote of confidence when the new regime decided to continue with him.
The 54-year-old will work in a structure with chief executive Omar Berrada due to start next month and Dan Ashworth on gardening leave from Newcastle but wanted to become United’s next sporting director. Jason Wilcox, who has also been hired by Ineos, has arrived as technical director.
After the FA Cup final, polls suggested the majority of United supporters wanted Ten Hag to stay and the club, as they concluded their review, granted them their wish.
