'Transfer power and job title' - What Manchester United contract extension means for Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag has extended his stay as Manchester United, but it is not as straightforward as it might first seem.

The 54-year-old had entered the final year of his initial United contract, before the club extended it by an additional year to now expire in June 2026. Although the temptation is to say Ten Hag has signed a new deal at the club, United have just triggered an extension in his previous contract to keep him for another twelve months on the same terms as before.

Following their extensive end-of-season review, United made it a priority to extend the Dutchman's stay at the club, and although they have now done so, it isn't exactly the strongest show of faith they could have displayed.

From an operational point of view, you can understand why. United had to back up their commitment to some degree, but there is still an element of uncertainty about his long-term suitability for the role. United will probably argue that a new improved contract wouldn't have made much difference anyway. Jose Mourinho was sacked within a year of signing a new deal in early 2018 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s only last four months after his own before he left the club.

Club sources insist he will now have increased support from a strengthened football leadership team above him, while he is also set to have a strong say on their refreshed coaching staff. Yet, because it is the same deal as before, any new demands he has made aren't written into the contract.

Ten Hag pushed for the proposed additions of both Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake to his coaching team, and the flip side of being on the same contract as before means he retains a strong voice in transfer talks and the power to veto any move. Another important factor to note is that it means he will still be the manager in job title too, when there was plenty of speculation he might be reassigned the role of head coach, with a focus solely on the playing side of things.

So in a summer of seismic change at Old Trafford, there is a sense of familiarity surrounding the manager heading into the new season. Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitted last month “the coach isn't the central issue' at United, but if everything around him improves, there will be far less room to hide if results on the pitch don't follow suit.

Ten Hag will be the manager until 2026, as long as he proves it.