Erik ten Hag signs new deal to remain as Manchester United manager
Erik ten Hag has signed a new deal to remain as Manchester United manager until June 2026, the club have announced.
There had been speculation over the Dutchman’s future after an underwhelming 2023-24 Premier League campaign but he strengthened his position by guiding the club to FA Cup success.
A statement from United read: “Erik ten Hag has extended his contract as Manchester United men’s first-team manager until June 2026.”
Erik ten Hag said he could "reflect with pride" at the trophies and the progression of the club from when he joined.
News emerged that the Dutchman's job was safe at the beginning of June following mounting speculation about a decision from the Old Trafford hierarchy, which has been conducting a performance review into the 2023-24 season.
Manchester United fans seemed to give a cautious welcome to the club's decision.
The new deal is not a full refresh of the 54-year-old’s contract terms but extends his existing agreement by 12 months.
In a statement Ten Hag said: “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.
"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.”
United’s eighth-placed top-flight finish was their lowest of the Premier League era and they finished with a negative goal difference for the first time.
They also finished bottom of a Champions League group containing Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen, winning just one of their six ties - even missing out on qualification for the Europa League.
His current deal was due to expire summer 2025. United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was also reported to have held talks with former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel in France.
Ten Hag's first task after being confirmed in his role will be to prepare for the club’s summer friendly fixtures, the first of which is against Rosenborg in Norway on July 15.
He is unlikely to have a full-strength squad available due to various players’ involvement at Euro 2024 and the Copa America but believes much can be learned from the pre-season programme.
The 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.
Ashworth said: “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.”