Man Utd must now pay ‘higher compensation fee’ in order to sack Erik ten Hag

That’s according to a new report from ESPN, who outlined that Ten Hag would have been due a smaller payout had United missed out on Europe altogether as a result of their disappointing Premier League campaign.

The same report outlines that sources close to Ten Hag fear that winning another trophy may not be enough to convince Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he is the right man to take the club forward after a challenging year.

It’s already been outlined that the Manchester United hierarchy will decide Ten Hag’s fate in a review this week and that contact has been made with the representatives of several coaches they admire, including Kieran McKenna, Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino.

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Speculation over Ten Hag’s position has intensified in recent weeks as the club have carried out their due diligence on other coaches in the background.

The Guardian claimed on the eve of Saturday’s cup final that the club had already decided to part company with Ten Hag regardless of the outcome against City. Those rumours were fuelled further after Ratcliffe failed to answer a reporter who asked if Ten Hag would still be in his post next week after the match.

But a defiant Ten Hag sent a message to the club’s top brass in the wake of Sunday’s FA Cup final triumph, telling reporters: “If they don’t want me any more, I go somewhere else and win trophies, that’s what I’ve done my whole career.”

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