Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension that keeps him at Old Trafford until 2026, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.
There had been intense speculation over the Dutchman’s future after a poor 2023/24 Premier League campaign but he guided the club to FA Cup success against Manchester City.
An agreement was widely reported in the British press last month that, following a review by the club’s new part-owner, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, Ten Hag would be staying at the club.
“Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension as Manchester United men’s first-team manager until June 2026,” United said in a statement.
The former Ajax boss, whose contract ran until 2025, said more work was needed to close the gap on Manchester United’s Premier League rivals.
“In the last two years, we came out with pride and joy. Two trophies now and so many times, we have shown progress from where we were when I came in here,” he added.
But as a sporting director, he said: “But in saying that, we must also be clear that there is still much work to do in order to get to those levels at Manchester United, to challenge for English and European titles.”
“For the last two seasons, our team has won two titles, which once again proves that Erik is one of the most stable and effective coaches in European football.”.
“While the club review of last season highlighted areas in which improvement is required, it gave a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes.”
Ten Hag, 54, ended a six-year trophy drought for United in his first season by lifting the League Cup in 2023, finishing third in the league, something that encouraged fans that they might launch a Premier League title bid in 2023/24.
Yet, this was counterbalanced by the fact that they also lost 14 games and finished with a negative goal difference, ending a whopping 31 points behind the champions, Manchester City.