Manchester United’s under-fire manager, Erik ten Hag, described his recent discussions with the club’s new minority stakeholder, Jim Ratcliffe, as “very positive.” Ratcliffe, the British billionaire whose INEOS group will soon control 25 percent of Manchester United’s football operations pending ratification, has been in Manchester for a series of meetings, including one with the embattled manager.
The talks come at a challenging time for Ten Hag, as Manchester United faces difficulties in various competitions. The team exited the Champions League in the group stage, suffered elimination from the League Cup by Newcastle, and currently sits in eighth place in the Premier League, trailing the top four by nine points.
Despite the pressure on Ten Hag, he expressed optimism about his discussions with Ratcliffe, stating, “It was very positive, I have to say. We had a long meeting, for many hours we sat together, and on many issues, we are on the same page, so it was very positive.”
The Dutch coach emphasized the constructive nature of the meeting and the alignment on various issues. With INEOS set to take control, both parties look forward to working together.
Manchester United’s upcoming FA Cup third-round match against Wigan adds to the pressure on Ten Hag, as a shock defeat to the third-tier side could intensify scrutiny on the manager.
The future of England forward Jadon Sancho remains uncertain, with reports suggesting a possible loan move back to Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season. However, Ten Hag refrained from commenting on the matter, stating, “I can’t say anything about that. We have to wait and see how things are going, and when we have news, of course, we will tell you.”
Ten Hag did confirm that contract extensions were triggered for Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Hannibal Mejbri. Discussions regarding the futures of Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial are ongoing, with the club opting for negotiations rather than exercising options in their current contracts.
When asked about the decision not to trigger contract options for Varane and Martial, Ten Hag responded, “I think that is an internal discussion between the club and the players.”
