The powers-that-be at Manchester United have supposedly been left seething at Erik ten Hag for disclosing the details of their Ibiza meeting, where he was asked to stay on as head coach.
The Dutchman's job was under serious threat due to the Red Devils' eighth-placed Premier League finish and Champions League group-stage exit, not to mention also ceding their EFL Cup title with a whimper.
Reports had stated that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS troupe were set to give Ten Hag the boot after the 2023-24 FA Cup final with Manchester City, regardless of the outcome of the Wembley encounter.
However, Man United unexpectedly avenged last year's defeat in the showpiece match with a 2-1 success in the English capital, giving Ten Hag his second trophy at the club in two seasons.
The Red Devils' triumph reportedly left Ratcliffe and co dumbfounded and delayed their final decision on Ten Hag's future, supposedly to the Dutchman's chagrin as he quickly departed for his holidays.
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Ten Hag 'yet to agree new Man United deal'
A host of names were floated around as potential successors to Ten Hag, most notably Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel, whom the 20-time English champions spoke to before coming to their final decision on Ten Hag.
The ex-Ajax boss revealed as much during an interview with Dutch channel NOS, where he disclosed that Man United chiefs showed up to meet him during his Ibiza holiday to tell him that his job was safe.
However, The Sun reports that Ten Hag could now feel the wrath of the board for publicly revealing the details of their exchange, which the club felt should have been kept private.
The quarrel could potentially represent another setback in Man United's attempts to agree a new contract with the Dutchman, whom they apparently want to tie down for another three years until 2027.
Ten Hag is currently due to leave the club at the end of next season, and the report adds that there are still several hoops to jump through before they can shake hands on a renewal.
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The 54-year-old has overseen 68 wins, 15 draws and 31 losses from 114 games in charge but only masterminded 26 successes from 52 matches in all tournaments last season, a win rate of 50%.
Why did Man United keep Ten Hag?
Purely from an on-field point of view, there were more reasons to twist than stick with Ten Hag, whose Man United side conceded a staggering amount of shots per 90 en route to their worst-ever Premier League placement.
However, Ten Hag's ability to lead his side to silverware earned him some crucial credit in the bank, and the Dutchman's penchant for developing young players is said to have won him some serious brownie points with INEOS.
The Red Devils are working with a starting budget of just £50m this summer, but the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have thrived when given opportunities by Ten Hag in recent months.
A lack of suitable replacements was no doubt a big factor too, though, as Tuchel turned down the chance, Kieran McKenna signed a new deal with Ipswich Town, and links with several others went nowhere either.
Ben Knapton
