Man Utd confirm new Erik ten Hag contract as Dan Ashworth speaks for the first time | Football | Sport
Manchester United have confirmed that Erik ten Hag has signed a one-year contract extension until 2026, ending speculation surrounding his future. Ten Hag has retained the title of first-team manager and has insisted that he found “complete unity” with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS during talks over the new deal.
The Dutchman’s status at Old Trafford has been up in the air since Ratcliffe completed his £1.3billion investment and inherited total control over sporting operations in February.
However, following discussions with multiple alternatives, United have decided that Ten Hag is the strongest candidate to lead the club into a new era.
“I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together,” Ten Hag said in a statement.
“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.”
Dan Ashworth, who became United’s new sporting director on Monday, has also spoken out for the first time.
He added: “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. 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.”
Ten Hag will work with Ashworth, incoming chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox at the helm of United’s sporting structure.
The 54-year-old has lifted two major trophies in as many years at Old Trafford – the Carabao Cup in February 2023 and the FA Cup in May.
United will now accelerate plans for his third campaign in the dugout, including a likely push for recruitment with pre-season on the horizon.
