Man Utd have confirmed the extension of Erik ten Hag’s contract as manager until 2026. This vote of confidence from United’s new minority owners, INEOS, comes a month after they ended the search for a new manager.
United have activated the extension on Ten Hag’s original three-year contract, which means he will continue on the same terms without a salary increase.
The club is also in the process of assembling a new coaching staff for Ten Hag, with legendary striker Ruud van Nistelrooy being considered for a position.
“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,” Ten Hag said.
“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.”
“With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football,” said Dan Ashworth, United’s new sporting director.
“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; now 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.”
United conducted a thorough search for a new manager after a significant decline in their performance towards the end of last season, resulting in their lowest-ever Premier League finish, ending eighth.
The club considered Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, Mauricio Pochettino, and Thomas Frank, and engaged in serious discussions with Thomas Tuchel, before ultimately deciding that Ten Hag was the best fit for the role.
Ten Hag’s leadership in guiding United to victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City played a crucial part in their decision to give him another opportunity to set things right.
Currently, Ten Hag is serving as a pundit for Dutch broadcaster NOS during Euro 2024, but he will soon begin preparing for United’s pre-season campaign.
This kicks off on July 15 with a friendly against Rosenborg in Norway. The Red Devils will also play against Rangers before heading to the United States, where they will face Arsenal, Real Betis, and Liverpool.
Additionally, they will meet City again at Wembley in the Community Shield before starting their Premier League campaign against Fulham on August 16.