Erik ten Hag extends Manchester United contract until 2026

English club Manchester United announced today, Tuesday, the extension of the contract of its coach, Erik ten Hag, until June 2026.

Ten Hag was already tied to a contract at Old Trafford until 2025, but the club have now activated an existing option for an additional 12 months.

The 54-year-old was retained as Manchester United manager following the club’s end-of-season review and has now extended his previous deal – which was due to expire at the end of the upcoming 2024-25 season – on current terms.

The Dutchman was appointed Manchester United manager in 2022, after winning six trophies – including three Eredivisie titles – during his four-and-a-half seasons in charge of Ajax.

“I am very happy to have reached an agreement with the club to continue working together,” Ten Hag said.

“Looking back on the last two years, we can look back with pride on two trophies and many examples of progress from where we were when I joined the club. However, we must also recognise that there is still a lot of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European honours.

“In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision to reach those goals, and we are all deeply committed to taking this journey together.”

go deeper

Inside Ten Hag’s Manchester United sacking: Tuchel, De Zerbi and key meetings

The club’s new sporting director Dan Ashworth, who was appointed at Old Trafford earlier this week, said of Ten Hag’s contract extension: “With two trophies in the last two seasons, Erik has further enhanced his record as one of the most consistently successful managers in European football.

“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also came to the clear conclusion that Eric was the best partner for us to work with in raising standards and results. This group of players and staff have already shown that they can compete and win at the highest level; now we need to do so even more consistently.”

United’s eighth-place finish in the Premier League in the 2023-24 season was their lowest since 1990 while they were also knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.

However, Ten Hag led the team to their first FA Cup title since 2016 with a final win over Manchester City, while he won the Carabao Cup in his first season in charge – ending United’s six-year run without a trophy.

Ten Hag led United to FA Cup victory in May (Crystal Becks/MP Media/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, United are in talks to add Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hack to Ten Hag’s coaching staff as discussions continue over a shake-up of the backroom staff.

The athlete Reports in June suggested that first-team coach Benni McCarthy would leave the club at the end of his contract, with assistant coach Mitchell van der Gaag also likely to depart. Steve McClaren and Darren Fletcher are likely to remain in Ten Hag’s staff.

The athlete Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is also reported to be in talks over a return to Old Trafford, having previously been linked with the vacant managerial role at Burnley.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 games for United between 2001 and 2006 to establish himself as a fan favourite, and won the Dutch Cup in his only season with PSV Eindhoven.

The 47-year-old has not held a managerial job since leaving PSV Eindhoven with one game remaining in the 2022-23 season and is likely to join Ten Hag’s coaching staff alongside the 52-year-old, who is leaving his post as head coach of Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles, where Ten Hag’s managerial career began.

Hack is a highly experienced coach having managed five clubs in the Netherlands including two seasons at FC Twente and 18 months as head coach of FC Utrecht.

Van der Gag, who aspires to become a head coach again, and McCarthy will join United alongside Ten Hag in the summer of 2022.

go deeper

Inside the season that put Erik ten Hag’s role at Manchester United under scrutiny

(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)