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Erik ten Hag described his first meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe as “very positive” however admitted he nonetheless has a lot to study in regards to the billionaire’s plans for Manchester United.
Ratcliffe’s Ineos group will assume management of footballing operations as soon as his buy of a 25 per cent stake within the membership has been ratified within the coming weeks, and he has been in Manchester this week for a collection of conferences with membership workers.
The conferences have been described as a possibility for Ratcliffe, in addition to senior Ineos officers Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, to get to know the membership earlier than they begin work in earnest.
“It was very positive, I have to say,” Ten Hag stated. “We had a long meeting, many hours we sit together and on many issues we are on the same page so it was very positive.
“I think from both sides it was a very constructive meeting and we look forward to working with them.”
But requested if he had been capable of achieve a transparent thought of what would possibly change below Ratcliffe, Ten Hag stated: “We have to let it settle down. They’re just coming in, introducing themselves.
“They have good ideas. We have to see what we can integrate. In togetherness we will work on that but after one day you can’t tell that.
“They have given me a few (ideas), we have had our debates about strategies and I think we will come together.”
Ten Hag wouldn’t be drawn on studies that winger Jadon Sancho is near returning to Borussia Dortmund on a mortgage till the top of the season.
He has not featured since August after a public falling out with Ten Hag and his refusal to apologise for a social media put up wherein the 23-year-old stated he had been made a “scapegoat”.
A January exit has lengthy been anticipated and Dortmund, the membership Sancho left to hitch United in a £73m deal in 2021, have emerged because the main contenders for his signature.
“I can’t say anything about that,” Ten Hag stated. “We have to wait and see how things are going and when we have news, of course, we will tell you.”
Ten Hag did affirm that United have triggered contract extensions for Victor Lindleof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hannibal Mejbri, however they’ve entered discussions with Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial reasonably than take up choices of their offers, which expire in the summertime.
Martial is broadly anticipated to go away the membership in the summertime, whereas it has been reported that United are hoping to influence Varane to just accept decreased phrases if he’s to signal a brand new deal.
“We are talking with Rapha Varane, with Anthony Martial, and we triggered the options on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Hannibal,” Ten Hag stated.
Asked why contract choices had not been triggered for Varane and Martial, Ten Hag stated: “I think that is an internal discussion between the club and the players.”
Meanwhile, Ten Hag stated he nonetheless doesn’t know but if goalkeeper Andre Onana will likely be accessible for subsequent weekend’s Premier League match towards Tottenham, saying solely that he can characteristic in Monday’s FA Cup tie away to Wigan.
It is known that the Cameroonian soccer affiliation has agreed to permit the 27-year-old to hitch up late for his or her African Cup of Nations marketing campaign, which begins on January 15, however Ten Hag stopped wanting confirming he’ll play at Old Trafford subsequent weekend.
“We’re talking with the Cameroon federation,” Ten Hag stated. “It was an issue during the talks with Andre when he came in here. It’s constructive. We will see. I don’t know yet (for Spurs) but he will be here for the game against Wigan.”
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