According to reports, two Manchester United summer signings ‘signal the growing divide’ between Erik ten Hag and the ‘club’s broader strategy’.
The Dutch head coach was fortunate to keep his job at the end of last season as Man Utd struggled en route to finishing eighth in the Premier League.
United’s season ended on a high as they won the FA Cup and this saved Ten Hag, who penned a one-year contract extension in the summer.
In previous windows, Ten Hag had control over transfers. However, this has changed following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who completed his minority takeover of the Premier League giants at the start of this year.
Ratcliffe’s priority was to overhaul Man Utd’s recruitment model and he has recruited chief executive Omar Berrada, chief executive Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Man Utd’s poor season in 2023/24 meant Ten Hag had very little credit in the bank heading into this campaign, so he could have done with a positive start.
Unfortunately for Ten Hag, he emerged as a frontrunner to be the first Premier League manager sacked this season after his side won just two of their first seven league games before the international break.
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The pressure on Ten Hag has slightly eased following Man Utd’s much-needed 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday, but he has tough away games at Fenerbahce and West Ham United this week.
Ratcliffe and his new recruitment team were busy in the summer as they spent around £185m on new signings. They brought in Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Chido Obi-Martin and Sekou Kone.
A report from Football Transfers claims ‘Ten Hag no longer holds the decisive power over transfer dealings following INEOS’ significant overhaul of the club’s upper management’.
It is said that Berrada was the ‘driving force behind the most high-profile of United’s summer transfers’, while two deals ‘signal the growing divide’ at Old Trafford.
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The report explains.
‘We can reveal that Berrada even played a pivotal role in securing the high-profile signings of Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro, the crown jewels of Man Utd’s summer business, costing €50 million and €62m (not including bonuses), respectively.
‘While Ten Hag does still have veto power, his control is no longer as absolute as it seemed prior to Ratcliffe’s investment. The club’s leadership has shifted the transfer responsibilities away from the manager, particularly concerning younger talents like Chido Obi-Martin (16), Yoro (18) and Ugarte (23).
‘The reason for this, we are told, is quite simple: There are concerns over Ten Hag’s long-term future at the club despite the fact that he was handed fresh terms.
‘Sources emphasised that Berrada, not Ten Hag, was the driving force behind the signings of Ugarte and Yoro, signalling a growing divide between the manager and the club’s broader strategy.
‘This has raised questions about Ten Hag’s influence over United’s future, especially when it comes to shaping a squad that reflects the club’s long-term vision. Indeed, we are told that Berrada and Ashworth both hold veto powers when it comes to transfers, giving them the ability to overrule Ten Hag if need be.’
