Erik ten Hag's Manchester United future has finally been resolved after he signed a contract extension until 2026 with the Premier League club.
The Dutch manager's future had been under scrutiny after United finished eighth in the league and failed to make it through to the Champions League knockout stage – even missing out on the consolation of Europa League football after finishing bottom of their group.
Reports in the UK suggested Ten Hag was set to be sacked in the summer with a year left on his contract, but United defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, denying their local rivals a double, which has proven vital to the 54-year-old keeping his job.
“I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together,” Ten Hag told the club’s website. “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.”
Ten Hag moved to the Old Trafford club from Dutch side Ajax and guided United to victory in the League Cup final over Newcastle United – the Red Devils first trophy in six years – and a third-place finish in the Premier League.
His second campaign proved far more problematic as United fell to their lowest league position since 1990 but a performance review – led by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe following the British billionaire's investment last December – took place at the end of the campaign and, in light of the FA Cup triumph, it was determined Ten Hag should remain in charge.
The new deal is not a full refresh of Ten Hag's contract terms but extends his existing agreement by 12 months.
Confirmation comes in the same week that Dan Ashworth was finally appointed as United’s new sporting director after months of negotiations with his previous employers Newcastle, with Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and Dave Brailsford having already joined in senior roles.
Reports suggest former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to return to Old Trafford as part of a revamped coaching set-up alongside Go Ahead Eagles manager Rene Hake.
“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 Ashworth.
“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 is United's fifth permanent manager since the end of the Alex Ferguson era in 2013, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ten Hag's men face Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 10 before starting their 2024/25 Premier League campaign at home to Fulham six days later. They take on fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on August 31.
