Ten Hag’s contract runs until the summer of 2025, and it is understood that there have been no talks to extend this deal. Ratcliffe instead wants to wait until the end of the current season to decide on the current manager’s future.
The new investor will have to confer with United director Sir Dave Brailsford, new chief executive officer Omar Berrada and incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth. They will help Ratcliffe decide whether Ten Hag or a new manager would work better in driving the team towards its new identity and vision.
Though Man Utd are on a strong run of form, with four consecutive wins and six victories from the last seven, it has been a disappointing season for the club and its fans. The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League table, five points away from Aston Villa in the Champions League spots. Following a strong third-place finish last season, finishing in the top four should be a priority for United.
United lost 14 games in the first half of the season, a record low that included home defeats at the hands of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
Ratcliffe has attributed Ten Hag’s shortcomings earlier in the season to a poor working environment. Since the Dutchman joined in 2022, Ratcliffe believes the club has been riddled with subpar recruitment and off-pitch issues.
He said: “I’m not going to comment on Erik ten Hag, because it would be inappropriate to do that, but if you look at the 11 years that have gone since (former United chief executive) David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down, there have been a whole series of coaches, some of which were very good.
“None of them were successful or survived very long. And you can’t blame all the coaches. The only conclusion you can draw is that the environment in which they were working didn’t work.”
United’s recent form will be an encouraging sign for Ten Hag, with the new owner giving little away as to his opinions on the former Ajax manager.
Manchester United host Fulham in the Premier League this weekend, with kick-off at 3pm on Saturday.
