Manchester United takeover: Ten Hag supports Ratcliffe’s plans to overhaul club

In his 18 months in charge of United, ten Hag has expressed frustration over several aspects of the club's recruitment process.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly supporting Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plans to overhaul the club’s football department.

Ratcliffe is on the verge of securing a 25% stake in Manchester United, with the hope of a total takeover in the future.

Meanwhile, ten Hag is said to be a supporter of the British billionaire’s idea to revamp the footballing part of the club, as part of his commitment to raising the club’s standards and addressing concerns over recruitment issues.

In his 18 months in charge of United, ten Hag has expressed frustration over several aspects of the club’s recruitment process.

Manchester United takeover: Ten Hag supports Ratcliffe's plans to overhaul club
Sir Jim Ratcliffe – Getty

Issues such as a lack of clarity regarding transfer targets and budgets, limited data, and a habit of overpaying players have reportedly left the manager and some others at Old Trafford concerned.

Mail Online reported that while it is unclear if ten Hag has directly spoken to Ratcliffe due to the strict rules surrounding the takeover, sources at Ineos, Ratcliffe’s company handling the United deal, suggest that the manager will not lose his job, despite the team’s poor start to the season.

Ten Hag and Ratcliffe have a pre-existing relationship due to Ratcliffe’s ownership of Nice, and they previously met at United’s Carrington training ground in March.

Ten Hag’s faith about Ratcliffe’s proposed £1.3 billion investment comes from Ineos’s record of improving standards in various sports, including football, cycling, and sailing.

Show More