Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United contract extended until 2026

Manchester United have extended Erik ten Hag’s contract through to June 2026.

Ten Hag was already under contract at Old Trafford until 2025 but the club have now triggered the existing option of an additional 12 months.

The 54-year-old was retained as United manager following the club’s end-of-season review and has now extended his previous agreement — which was due to expire at the end of the coming 2024-25 season — on existing terms.

The Dutchman was appointed as United manager in 2022, having won six trophies — including three Eredivisie titles — across four-and-a-half seasons in charge of Ajax.

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

“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.”

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

“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes. This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level; now we need to do it more consistently.”

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

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

Meanwhile, United are in talks to add Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake to Ten Hag’s coaching staff with discussions continuing around a coaching reshuffle.

The Athletic reported in June first-team coach Benni McCarthy will leave the club at the end of his contract, with the prospect of assistant coach Mitchell van der Gaag departing. Steve McClaren and Darren Fletcher are both likely to remain on Ten Hag’s staff.

The Athletic has also reported that former United striker Van Nistelrooy is in talks over a return to Old Trafford, having previously been a candidate for the vacant Burnley managerial position.

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

The 47-year-old has been without a managerial job since leaving PSV one game before the 2022-23 season ended, and is likely to join Ten Hag’s coaching staff alongside Hake, 52, who would leave his position as head coach of Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles, where Ten Hag’s management career began.

Hake is an experienced coach who has managed five clubs in the Netherlands including two seasons at FC Twente and 18 months as FC Utrecht head coach.

Van der Gaag, who has ambitions of being a head coach once again, and McCarthy both joined United alongside Ten Hag in the summer of 2022.

(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)