Man Utd face ‘deep financial hole’ by Ten Hag sack; report reveals Ratcliffe’s ‘private’ opinion

Jason Soutar 13 Mar 2024 7:00 AM

Erik ten Hag sits on the bench before a match.

Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe could put the club in a ‘deeper financial hole’ if he decides to sack Erik ten Hag, according to a report.

Ten Hag is under a severe amount of pressure with the Red Devils sitting sixth in the Premier League table, eight points behind Aston Villa in fourth.

Man Utd: Erik ten Hag ‘clinging on to his job’

Furthermore, United finished bottom of their Champions League group, below Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent takeover of the club has cast further doubt over his long-term future at Old Trafford, with the British billionaire yet to publicly back the Dutch manager.

It feels like Ten Hag is running out of time to prove he is the man for the job and if Ratcliffe wants to sack the United boss and his backroom staff, he will need to pay £10million in compensation, according to Metro.

This means the former Ajax manager will probably see out the rest of the season because if that figure is paid before June 30, it will count towards the 2023/24 accounts, which could see the club ‘fall into a deeper financial hole’.

United were unable to spend in the winter transfer window due to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, so they are walking a financial tightrope.

It is noted, though, that Ratcliffe and INEOS plan to be ‘ruthless’ to get the Red Devils back to the top, which could see the ‘sympathy’ he has from the board be forgotten all about.

The sympathy Ratcliffe has ‘privately expressed’ comes from the number of injuries he has been forced to deal with this season, while off-field issues with Mason Greenwood, Antony and Jadon Sancho have not helped.

Having said that, the report claims that Ten Hag is ‘clinging on to his job’.

Erik ten Hag to be sacked by Man Utd?

There have been so many reports that Ratcliffe is looking to replace Ten Hag, with a recent report from Spanish outlet Nacional stating that he ‘has decided to fire’ Ten Hag and ‘may interfere in Barcelona’s search for a new coach’.

The Red Devils got back to winning ways at home to Everton on Saturday after two consecutive defeats in the Premier League.

As touched on, injuries have been a real problem for Ten Hag, but the Dutchman will be happy to see Mason Mount back in full training after four months out with a calf issue.

The 25-year-old has endured a difficult first season at Old Trafford, managing just 12 appearances in all competitions since joining from Chelsea over the summer.

Mount has not played since coming off the bench in United’s 1-0 win against Luton in November, but a return from a calf complaint is finally in sight.

The Premier League club confirmed on Tuesday that the England international is back in training, just days after Ten Hag offered a promising update on him.

“Mason Mount, I think he is in a good spell now and he will return shortly,” he said last week. “I think after the international break.”

Manchester United Erik Ten Hag