Manchester United confirms ten Hag contract extension – but 250 redundancies likely

Manchester United has confirmed its first team men’s manager, Eric ten Hag, has extended his contract until June 2026 – although the club seems poised to axe 250 of its workforce.

Speculation was rife last month, even on the eve of the club’s FA Cup Final against rivals Manchester City, that ten Hag was on the verge of being replaced, with some reports naming current England manager, Gareth Southgate, as a credible contender. Co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, was said to be behind a wide-ranging examination of potential new managers.

However, ten Hag said today (July 4): “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.”

Dan Ashworth, Manchester United sporting director, 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.”

He added: “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.”

However, it seems likely that the Old Trafford club is planning to shed 250 jobs in a bid to slash costs and scrap some “non-essential” activities.

Director, Sir Dave Brailsford, has led a wide-ranging review of operations following confirmation of Ratcliffe’s co-ownership deal, through his Ineos business, last December. Ineos founder, Ratcliffe has already told staff to return to working from club premises, rather than from home.

United currently has 1,150 full-time members of staff. The BBC is reporting that interim chief executive, Jean-Claude Blanc, delivered news of the cuts at an all-staff meeting with around 800 people.

It is reported that all areas of the club will be affected by the redundancies, with the exception of the charitable arm, the Manchester United Foundation.

A formal process to propose redundancies is now expected to begin.