Ratcliffe to hold crunch talks with under-pressure Ten Hag as Man Utd boss makes big transfer demand

Erik ten Hag is reportedly ‘determined’ to maintain control over Manchester United’s biggest transfers once Sir Jim Ratcliffe completes his minority takeover of the club. 

INEOS chairman Ratcliffe saw his £1.3bn bid to acquire 25 per cent of Man Utd accepted on Christmas Eve week – with the deal to be officially ratified by the Premier League in the coming weeks.

Ratcliffe will assume ‘full control of football operations’ at the club as part of the deal.

As noted by Metro, Sir David Brailsford, director of sport at INEOS, will be tasked with revamping the Red Devil’s recruitment department.

The appointment of a new sporting director at Old Trafford is expected to be one of Brailford’s first tasks.

However, according to a report from ESPN, Ten Hag is eager to retain at least some of the decision making process around transfers after the minority takeover is completed.

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Ratcliffe to hold talks with Ten Hag 

Ten Hag joined Man Utd from Ajax in May 2022. He led his team to Carabao Cup victory and a fourth place finish last season, but recent poor results has seen serious pressure mount on the manager.

The Premier League giants currently sit in a disappointing seventh place in the table – nine points adrift of the top four – and they have already crashed out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

Man Utd’s recruitment under Ten Hag has been widely criticised. The manager’s decision to spend an eye-watering £85m on Antony, for example, has been questioned.

Along with Antony, summer signings Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund – who cost rought £175m combined – have all struggled to make their mark at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe is also thought to have personally criticised Man Utd’s signing of Casemiro from Real Madrid in 2022.

ESPN’s report notes that ‘the power of veto’ of transfers is ‘written into Ten Hag’s contract’ and the manager ‘expects it to be honoured under the new regime.’

Ratcliffe visited Man Utd’s training ground on Tuesday and has scheduled talks with the Dutch coach.

“I look forward [to it],” Ten Hag said after the minority takeover was announced. “They want to work with me, I want to work with them, we will have the conversations, the meetings. We will see.

“I think it’s a good thing, it’s very positive. We are looking forward to working together. INEOS wants to work with me in this structure and I want to work with them.”

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