Manager Erik ten Hag signs new deal at Manchester United
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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension that keeps him at Old Trafford until 2026.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension that keeps him at Old Trafford until 2026, the English Premier League club announced on July 4.
There had been intense speculation over the Dutchman’s future after a poor 2023-24 Premier League campaign but the 54-year-old guided the club to FA Cup success against Manchester City.
It was widely leaked in the British media in June that after a review by the club’s new part-owner, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, ten Hag would be staying at the club.
“Erik ten Hag has extended his contract as Manchester United men’s first-team manager until June 2026,” United said in a statement.
The former Ajax Amsterdam coach, whose deal had been due to expire in 2025, admitted there was work to be done to close the gap on their Premier League rivals.
“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,” said ten Hag, who delivered the League Cup in the 2022-23 season.
“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.”
Dan Ashworth, United’s new sporting director, 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.”
Ten Hag ended a six-year trophy drought for United and finished third in the league in his first season, sparking hope of a Premier League title bid in 2023-24.
But they lost 14 games and ended with a negative goal difference, finishing a whopping 31 points behind champions Manchester City. The 20-time English champions also saw their worst league finish since 1990 at eighth place.
They start the new season with a Community Shield clash against City on Aug 10, followed by their league opener against Fulham at home on Aug 17.
While ten Hag has kept his job, United are proposing to cut about 250 jobs as part of a club-wide redundancy programme, a source close to the club told Reuters.
The job cuts would include all departments and levels of the club, except for their charitable arm Manchester United Foundation, according to the source.
The job cuts, first reported by the Daily Mail, would represent about 22 per cent of their workforce. United had over 1,110 employees as of June 2023, including players, coaches, administration staff and others.
The club, which is set to report third-quarter results on July 10, will welcome new chief executive officer Omar Berrada from the City Football Group later in July.
Meanwhile, in Premier League transfer news, Everton on July 3 announced the signing of Marseille forward Iliman Ndiaye on a five-year deal for a reported fee of around £15 million (S$25.9 million).
The 24-year-old is the club’s third addition during the transfer window, after winger Jack Harrison returned on a season-long loan from Leeds and Aston Villa midfielder Tim Iroegbunam arrived on a permanent deal.
Ndiaye moved to France in 2023 from Sheffield United after scoring 14 goals in their promotion-winning Championship campaign of 2022-23.
“I’m so excited. I want to come in and carry on from the team’s progress last season,” the Senegal international told Everton TV.
“I feel like I’ll be ready to help and I just want to give it my all to get this club higher up the table.”
Everton were one of the lowest-scoring sides in the Premier League last season, managing just 40 goals in 38 matches.
Manager Sean Dyche, whose team finished 15th in the league, said: “Iliman adds versatility to our attacking options and strengthens our forward line as we look to build on the progress we made as a team last season in terms of chances created.
“He is still young but has experience at European and international level and we feel he will be a really positive addition to our squad.”
In other completed moves on July 3, Chelsea signed midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City for a reported £30 million (S$51.7 million), while Belgium international midfielder Orel Mangala moved from Nottingham Forest to Lyon for a reported £15 million. REUTERS, AFP
