Erik ten Hag described his first assembly with Sir Jim Ratcliffe as “very constructive” however admitted he nonetheless has a lot to study in regards to the billionaire’s plans for Manchester United.
Ratcliffe’s INEOS group will assume management of footballing operations as soon as his buy of a 25 per cent stake within the membership has been ratified within the coming weeks, and he has been in Manchester this week for a collection of conferences with membership employees.
The conferences have been described as a chance for Ratcliffe, in addition to senior INEOS officers Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, to get to know the membership earlier than they begin work in earnest.
“It was very constructive, I’ve to say,” Ten Hag mentioned. “We had an extended assembly, many hours we sit collectively and on many points we’re on the identical web page so it was very constructive.
“I feel from each side it was a really constructive assembly and we stay up for working with them.”
However requested if he had been capable of achieve a transparent thought of what may change underneath Ratcliffe, Ten Hag mentioned: “We now have to let it cool down. They’re simply coming in, introducing themselves.
“They’ve good concepts. We now have to see what we will combine. In togetherness we’ll work on that however after in the future you possibly can’t inform that.
“They’ve given me a number of (concepts), we now have had our debates about methods and I feel we’ll come collectively.”
Ten Hag wouldn’t be drawn on experiences that winger Jadon Sancho is near returning to Borussia Dortmund on a mortgage till the top of the season.
He has not featured since August after a public falling out with Ten Hag and his refusal to apologise for a social media put up wherein the 23-year-old mentioned he had been made a “scapegoat”.
A January exit has lengthy been anticipated and Dortmund, the membership Sancho left to hitch United in a £73million deal in 2021, have emerged because the main contenders for his signature.
“I can’t say something about that,” Ten Hag mentioned. “We now have to attend and see how issues are going and when we now have information, after all, we’ll inform you.”
Ten Hag did verify that United have triggered contract extensions for Victor Lindleof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hannibal Mejbri, however they’ve entered discussions with Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial fairly than take up choices of their offers, which expire in the summertime.
Martial is extensively anticipated to depart the membership in the summertime, whereas it has been reported that United are hoping to steer Varane to simply accept decreased phrases if he’s to signal a brand new deal.
“We’re speaking with Rapha Varane, with Anthony Martial, and we triggered the choices on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Hannibal,” Ten Hag mentioned.
Erik has confirmed United have triggered one-year contract extensions for @AWBissaka, @HannibalMejbri and @VLindelof.
The boss has additionally revealed contract talks are being held with two extra Reds.#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 4, 2024
Requested why contract choices had not been triggered for Varane and Martial, Ten Hag mentioned: “I feel that’s an inside dialogue between the membership and the gamers.”
In the meantime, Ten Hag mentioned he nonetheless doesn’t know but if goalkeeper Andre Onana can be obtainable for subsequent weekend’s Premier League match towards Tottenham, saying solely that he can characteristic in Monday’s FA Cup tie away to Wigan.
It’s understood that the Cameroonian soccer affiliation has agreed to permit the 27-year-old to hitch up late for his or her African Cup of Nations marketing campaign, which begins on January 15, however Ten Hag stopped in need of confirming he’ll play at Outdated Trafford subsequent weekend.
“We’re speaking with the Cameroon federation,” Ten Hag mentioned. “It was a difficulty through the talks with Andre when he got here in right here. It’s constructive. We’ll see. I don’t know but (for Spurs) however he can be right here for the sport towards Wigan.”
