Man Utd sacking Erik ten Hag 'will cost £17.5m' as INEOS score spectacular own goal

Erik ten Hag may be handed a reprieve amid intensifying scrutiny over his position as Manchester United manager, courtesy of INEOS’ contract decision in the summer. The Dutchman is on the brink after Tottenham inflicted a second straight 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.

It extended United’s slow start to the season and raised further questions about which direction the club is heading under Ten Hag’s stewardship.

But Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s team of sporting executives have a good reason to persist with the manager they deemed worthy of backing a few months ago.

Ten Hag’s future was wildly up in the air at the end of United’s worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing eighth and initially missing out on any European football.

A shock FA Cup triumph over Manchester City at Wembley – earning Europa League qualification as a bonus – undoubtedly bought Ten Hag time.

INEOS explored alternative options, though, meeting multiple replacement candidates including Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.

But faith was eventually placed in Ten Hag, and United triggered the one-year contract extension until 2026 in his contract.

The decision was potentially as much a financial one as a sporting one, considering it would’ve cost the club around £10million to sack the manager with one year left on his deal.

Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures in his efforts to mend a decade of financial mismanagement under the Glazer regime have been widely documented.

Over 250 employees across all departments have been made redundant since Ratcliffe purchased a 28 per cent stake in the club in February.

Paying Ten Hag such a hefty fee to release him after lifting the FA Cup may not have been a good look in the thick of the brutal job cuts.

But INEOS have blocked themselves into a corner by extending Ten Hag’s contract until 2026 because a dismissal would now look even worse.

If the 54-year-old is to lose his job in the coming weeks, it would now cost United in the region of £17.5m.

That figure represents around half of the amount that Ratcliffe saved by laying off such a vast group of United’s workforce.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise the Red Devils are in no rush to pull the trigger on parting ways with Ten Hag.

The official word is that he retains the club’s support to overturn recent fortunes. More misery at FC Porto and Aston Villa this week would really test INEOS’ resolve.