Ten Hag sent Man Utd sack message by Brailsford

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 8 Jan 2024 11:29 GMT
• 3 min read

Sir Dave Brailsford has hinted at a possible exit for Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag, according to reports.

The Athletic have stated that the Ineos chief believes that the club should know its identity and then hire a sporting director and manager who can work in total unison.

Ten Hag has been granted most of the say in the past four transfer windows, having spent close to £500million.

Though he led the side back to the Champions League and even won last year’s League Cup trophy, this season has been dire, with some of his major signings, such as Antony and Rasmus Hojlund, failing to hit the mark despite a serious outlay spent on them.

Furthermore, there have been some reports revealing that Ten Hag would not be entirely on board with granting a sporting director control of recruitment.

Will Erik ten Hag work with a sporting director?

A report from ESPN says that the Dutchman will insist upon having the final say on transfer business as Sir Jim Ratcliffe prepares to install a new sporting director at Old Trafford. If the former Ajax boss is not prepared to work in tandem with someone, it’s clear that the new regime will find someone who does. Ten Hag has faced immense pressure this season for the club’s poor form.

The Red Devils were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages, while they seem a fair distance from being able to secure a spot in Europe this campaign.

Ratcliffe is likely to bring in several of his people: Jean-Claude Blanc, the head of Ineos' sporting portfolio, is expected take up the role of CEO. Brailsford is set to be handed a role in recruitment too, while Paul Mitchell and Dan Ashworth are being considered.