SUMMARY
- Erik ten Hag is on the verge of extending his stay at Manchester United.
- Gareth Southgate is a contender to replace ten Hag.
Despite the heavy league losses and rumors of an uncertain future, Manchester United looks very pleased with Erik ten Hag. The INEOS group reportedly envisages a long-term future.
The news might baffle some ‘Red Devils, who weren’t sure about the Dutch tactician’s future a couple of months ago. If the news is believed to be true, then Erik ten Hag will soon be signing a multi-year contract.
🚨🚨 MAJOR BREAKING!
Erik ten Hag is set to sign a new 3-year contract as Manchester United’s manager after INEOS decided he’s the best man to lead the club forward.
Wow. My manager. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/iQIzaiw6yL
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) April 1, 2024
However, the authenticity of the information is questionable. And after a lot of digging, we have finally arrived at the truth behind Erik ten Hag’s future.
Erik ten Hag will reportedly sign a new deal at Manchester United
The 54-year-old is reportedly stepping away from committing his future to the English club until 2028. Erik ten Hag will sign a three-year contract extension with Manchester United, with his current contract expiring in June 2025. It looks like the new minority owners of the club want the former AFC Ajax manager to be the new face of the club’s new era.
The INEOS Group is already looking at the market and wants to bring some young and exciting talents to Old Trafford. Considering their transfer targets, the INEOS group believes Erik ten Hag is the perfect manager in the soccer world to coach young talents.
Erik ten Hag is a tried-and-tested figure in this regard. He had produced many young, world-class talents during his time at AFC Ajax. Players like Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie De Jong, and Andre Onana have gone on to play for some big clubs in their careers. The Dutch manager is also accredited with winning three Eredivisie titles and making it to a UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Man Utd have faced more shots in the Premier League this season (498) than Man City and Arsenal combined (464).
Only three teams have faced more than United and two of them are in the relegation zone. 😳#BREMUN | @bet365 | #Ad pic.twitter.com/Bhx9I81CKF
— Squawka (@Squawka) March 30, 2024
His resume seems perfect for leading Manchester United for a long time. But, unfortunately for Erik ten Hag, the news of a contract renewal offer is nothing but an April Fool’s prank.
No confirmation has been made from the club or INEOS group’s side, nor has any big media house published anything about it. It does not make sense to offer Erik ten Hag a contract renewal either. Manchester United has been very poor in the 23/24 season, sitting in 6th position with 48 points at the end of matchday 29.
Manchester United was knocked out in the group stages of UCL 23/24, in what has been a very chaotic season for ‘The Red Devils’. The club has been very poor in defense, conceding 40 goals and facing 498 goals, which is the 4th highest in the league. In such circumstances, Erik ten Hag should be expecting a firing more than a contract renewal.
Gareth Southgate wants to focus on the upcoming Euros
Erik ten Hag’s job at Manchester United looked in jeopardy after rumors of Gareth Southgate’s move to Manchester United started surfacing. The 53-year-old has a contract with the England national team until December 2024, and the INEOS group considered Gareth to be a candidate for the Manchester United job.
Gareth Southgate is now England’s most successful men’s manager when it comes to winning knockout games at major tournaments (4).
Put some respect on his name. pic.twitter.com/hjLpaqwXIX
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 3, 2021
Gareth Southgate has been the manager of England since 2016 and has done a decent job for ‘The Three Lions’. Including the upcoming Euros in Germany, the 53-year-old has managed in England in 4 major tournaments, reaching at least the semi-final stages in 2 of them.
His achievements with the England NT thus make him a natural contender for the Manchester United job. However, it seems that Gareth Southgate is in no mood to discuss his future before the Euros.
🚨🏴 Gareth Southgate when asked about staying as England coach after the Euros…
“I won’t be in a position to make that decision before the tournament”.
“My only focus is to try and win the tournament for England”. pic.twitter.com/GOSO5MoShh
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 8, 2024
He said this ahead of England’s two friendly games in March 2024: “I think there are two things from my point of view. One is that I’m the England manager. I’ve got one job, basically, to try and deliver a European Championship. Clearly before that, two important games this week.”
Moreover, Gareth Southgate also does not want to talk about the managerial position at Manchester United, as long as Erik ten Hag is at the helm. The England manager said, “And the second thing is Manchester United have a manager and I think it’s always completely disrespectful when there’s any speculation about a manager that’s in place.”
In addition to Gareth Southgate, Manchester United have also been linked with the shocking name of former Chelsea manager Graham Potter. It would be interesting to see how the managerial situation unfolds for ‘The Red Devils’ in the near future.
Fans react to Erik ten Hag’s fake contract renewal
The users on the social media platform X had a hard time processing the news of the Dutch manager’s contract renewal. Some of them looked stunned by the suddenness of the move, while some of them were smart enough to know the news was a prank.
The user ‘Nse’ was one such user who refused to be tricked. It commented, “It’s so obvious it’s an April fool’s joke.” It looks like that Manchester United fan is always updated about the affairs of their club.
‘StorytimeWithArdi’, an X user, almost fell for the joke. It commented, “You got me for a minute .” However, the user named ‘Gringo’ did not have a similar fate. Instead of debunking the joke, the user tried to analyze Erik ten Hag’s contract renewal. It commented, “Massive news but with that style of play I don’t see him lasting for long.”
Purple Feebas wrote, “Wait really? I am so happy right now!!” While ‘Ch!dera’ sensed it was an April fool’s prank and wrote, “That’s an April fool joke.” All in all, the X account that made the post regarding Erik ten Hag’s contract renewal surely accomplished its target of confusing people.
