Erik ten Hag faces a power shift battle with Ineos over Manchester United’s new contract proposal

Erik ten Hag is reluctant to cede too much power over Manchester United transfers as he prepares for contract talks with the club.

Ineos opted to keep Ten Hag in charge after an end-of-season review and, with just one year left on the existing terms, talks have begun over an extension.

While the financial package and length of any deal will be key to these negotiations, the most important factor will be the concessions Ten Hag are willing to make when it comes to how Ineos wants to reshape the fabric of football at Old Trafford.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has developed plans to change the way the club operates, with a sporting director leading recruitment and the head coach then reporting on that figure. Ratcliffe also appointed a technical director – Jason Wilcox – to draw up a “play model” for a style of play to be implemented across the club.

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But after opting to keep Ten Hag, Ineos must now convince the Dutchman to either fit into that structure or accept that he will maintain the power he has held for the past two years. Talks on a new deal will resolve those issues and the sources said there was a real desire on both sides to find a middle ground.

Ten Hag was appointed United manager in 2022 and considers himself a traditional manager, overseeing all football-related aspects of the business. That includes recruitment and in his two years at the club he has been the key figure when it comes to signing new players as well as departures.

That desire for control over recruitment has led to Ten Hag having a veto over new signings written into his contract, which is likely to be a sticking point during negotiations over a new deal, with Ratcliffe making it clear he wants out of a model. which gives so much power to a manager.

Talks over the next two weeks will focus on what each side is willing to give up while trying to reach an agreement. Having seen Ineos talk to potential replacements before deciding to keep him, Ten Hag wields a lot of power ahead of negotiations and will be reluctant to lose control over transfers or accept a change in head coach title.

Ineos will be hoping to find a compromise with Ten Hag rather than ditching their plans to completely reshape the football structure next time the manager’s position becomes vacant. If the two sides cannot agree on terms, then United have the option to extend Ten Hag’s contract by another year.

Ten Hag will be represented by his agent Kees Vos, while for United interim chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc and Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford will be key figures during the talks. Blanc, Brailsford and technical director Wilcox led the end-of-season review that culminated in the decision to stay with Ten Hag on Tuesday, with constructive discussions taking place in person.

A source said that Ten Hag never gave up hope that United would stick with him this summer and never lost faith that he remained the best man for the job, pointing to his record two trophies in two seasons. But Ineos carried out its review without input from the 54-year-old and talks took place for the first time on Tuesday.

Now, Ten Hag will work with Wilcox on plans for the summer. United have identified Dan Ashworth as sporting director, but he is still on gardening leave and negotiations with Newcastle to secure his release remain complicated. Omar Berrada will replace Blanc as CEO on July 13.