Ratcliffe sets shock new criteria for Ten Hag sack, as Man Utd close in on next Kante

Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly be lenient towards manager Erik ten Hag next season, while the Red Devils are determined to land a player who has been compared to former Chelsea star N’Golo Kante.

There was plenty of speculation about Ten Hag’s future following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. The Dutchman ended the campaign on a high as Man Utd beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final, but that did not excuse the club’s hugely disappointing eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

It was widely reported that Ratcliffe had decided to sack Ten Hag amid interest in potential replacements such as Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter.

But Man Utd instead opted to keep Ten Hag in the job and extend his contract until June 2026.

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Following the contract announcement, 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.”

Man Utd news: Ratcliffe will be lenient towards Ten Hag

Onlookers, including some of Man Utd’s former players, have urged Ratcliffe to give the 54-year-old until Christmas and swing the axe if there is no sign of significant improvement.

But it does not look like that will be happening. As per The Guardian, Ten Hag ‘is not under pressure’ to guide Man Utd into the top four next season.

While Ratcliffe wants to see Man Utd thrive thanks to their new hierarchy and new signings, he understands that it is a long-term process and that Ten Hag still has plenty more work to do.

As such, Man Utd could finish several points off Champions League qualification and Ratcliffe still would not sack Ten Hag, even if this angers the club’s supporters.

The former Ajax boss is eager for Man Utd to follow up on the deals for Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro with several more impressive signings, as this will help his side get closer to the Champions League spots.

In order to replace Casemiro, Man Utd have entered discussions with Paris Saint-Germain for midfield enforcer Manuel Ugarte.

They have agreed personal terms with Ugarte and remain locked in negotiations with PSG, as the French giants are holding out for around £59m.

TEAMtalk revealed earlier on Thursday that Man Utd are keen on selling Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Casemiro in order to fund the signings of Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt.

The MEN have now suggested Man Utd could be getting their own Kante in Ugarte. Ugarte completed the most amount of tackles in Ligue 1 last season as he thrives on winning possession back for his team.

Lucas Hernandez, who has played with both the Uruguayan and Kante, has even compared Ugarte to the former Chelsea and Leicester City midfielder.

Ugarte’s former coach at Fenix, Juan Ramon Carrasco, has claimed the 23-year-old must have several lungs due to his incredible stamina during games.

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