Erik ten Hag reports that he has had “very positive” discussions with the new investors Ineos at Manchester United.
Manager Ten Hag met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at United’s training ground this Tuesday.
During his inaugural visit following the announcement of the agreement to acquire 25% of the club on Christmas Eve, Ten Hag mentioned that he engaged in lengthy discussions with Ratcliffe and Ineos representatives Sir Dave Brailsford and John-Claude Blanc.
The Premier League is expected to formalize the deal in six to eight weeks.
“It was very positive,” Ten Hag said. “We had a long meeting, for many hours we sit together, on many issues we were on the same page. It was a very constructive meeting and we’re looking forward to working with each other.”
Anticipated alterations to the structure of United by Ineos are currently hindered by stock market regulations.
According to Ten Hag, it is premature for anyone to make such impactful decisions, considering that Ratcliffe and his associates only recently arrived in the northwest. They spent time at Old Trafford on Tuesday and again on Thursday to familiarize themselves with staff members and gain insights into the club’s operations.
“We have to let it settle down,” said Ten Hag. “They are just coming in and introducing themselves. They have good ideas, so we have to see what we can integrate. We will work together but you can’t tell that after one day. We have had our debates about strategies and I think we will come together.”
Onana available for Wigan
Ten Hag confirmed that goalkeeper Andre Onana would be available for the FA Cup trip to Wigan on Monday evening.
However, ongoing discussions with the Cameroon federation are in progress regarding Onana’s availability for the Premier League encounter against Tottenham at Old Trafford on January 14.
Cameroon’s opening group game at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) against Guinea is scheduled just 24 hours later.
United is willing to arrange a private plane to ensure Onana can make it to the game in Yamoussoukro.
However, David Moyes, West Ham’s manager, has expressed concerns about being without two players for Tuesday’s draw with Brighton due to Afcon commitments, while other clubs were able to field their African players for the same round of fixtures.
Ten Hag believes he is justified in his position, as when he signed the goalkeeper from Inter Milan, it was under the understanding that Onana would not be traveling to the Ivory Coast, having retired from international duty. However, he later changed his mind before the September international break.
“It was an issue during the talks with Andre when he came in here,” said Ten Hag. “The talks are constructive and we will see.”
Sancho move edging closer
The possibility of Jadon Sancho’s return on loan to Borussia Dortmund is nearing fruition. Dortmund is reportedly prepared to pay approximately £3m to secure Sancho for the remainder of the season and aims to complete the signing swiftly, enabling him to join their current winter training camp in Marbella.
Under Ten Hag, Sancho’s chances of a return seem bleak, as the England international declined to apologize for his contentious social media post. In the post, he accused the Dutchman of singling him out and spreading falsehoods about the reasons for his exclusion from the squad that faced Arsenal in early September.
“I can’t say anything about that,” said Ten Hag. “We have to wait and see how things are going.”