Miguel Delaney: Manchester United to follow Arsenal’s lead and water down Erik ten Hag’s power
The new Ineos leadership team are transforming recruitment at Old Trafford in a bid to close the huge gap on their rivals at the top of the Premier League
Ten Hag is said to be aligned with the club and negotiations over a contract extension have begun (Martin Rickett/PA)
Manchester United are seeking to build a dynamic young squad primarily based on signings under the age of 24, as they now overhaul recruitment after finally making a decision on Erik ten Hag’s future. The Dutch coach will have a slightly altered influence amid contract extension talks, where he won't have the same responsibility over signings. The new Ineos hierarchy ultimately felt it was only fair to give Ten Hag a chance at showing what he can do within this new structure, which is closer to the Ajax system where he forged his reputation.
While the aim is to quickly restore United as a Champions League club, one of the significant points raised in the internal review – as reported by The Independent two weeks ago – was how Arsenal benefited from patience with Mikel Arteta. Ineos have paid attention to how the London club steeled themselves through a miserable 2020-21 period as the Basque coach transformed the profile of the squad to a much younger team who were gradually being integrated into his tactical ideal.
