Ten Hag has ‘very positive’ Ratcliffe talks

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said his first formal meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team was “very positive” and that the club’s new part-owners have “good ideas.”

Ten Hag met Ratcliffe and his team, headed by INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, on Wednesday following the announcement of their deal to buy a 25% stake and assume control of all football operations.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

The agreement isn’t officially due to be signed off until February but Ten Hag is confident the new management structure will be good news for the club.

“Very positive, I have to say,” Ten Hag said at a news conference on Thursday.

“We had a long meeting, many hours we sit together. On many issues, we were on the same page, very positive from both sides. It was a very constructive meeting and we’re looking forward to working with each other.

“They have good ideas, we have to see what we can integrate.”

Speaking ahead of United’s FA Cup third round tie against Wigan Athletic on Monday, Ten Hag also confirmed the club have triggered contract extensions for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelöf and Hannibal.

It means the trio will stay under contract until June 2025 but options for Raphaël Varane and Anthony Martial — both out of contract in the summer — have not been taken up.

“We are talking with Rapha Varane and with Anthony Martial,” Ten Hag said.

“We triggered the options on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Hannibal.”

Ten Hag will have goalkeeper André Onana available for the trip to Wigan after reaching an agreement with the Cameroon FA to delay his release ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Casemiro and Lisandro Martínez have returned to training but are not ready to return for the game at the DW Stadium.

“I think we will have more or less the same squad as against Nottingham Forest,” Ten Hag said.

“We’re talking with the Cameroon Federation. It was an issue during the talks with André when he came in here. It’s constructive. We will see. I don’t know yet [about the game against Tottenham on Jan. 14] but he will be here for the game against Wigan.”