Ineos recruitment plans ‘raise questions’ over future of three key Man Utd figures

Manchester United are reportedly planning to make serious changes to Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff.

The Dutchman retained his position as manager earlier this month following a protracted end-of-season review, despite the club reaching out to several possible replacements. But reports have suggested that Ten Hag’s coaching set-up could be shaken up with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake coming in as new members of his team.

The latter is the current manager of Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles, who last season finished ninth in the Dutch top flight. Van Nistelrooy, a man who needs no introduction to United supporters, managed PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/23 season but has been out of coaching for around a year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the appointments of Van Nistelrooy and Hake would lead to members of the club’s current coaching team being displaced. According to the Daily Mail, the decision could ‘raise questions’ over the futures of Ten Hag’s current assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren.

The outlet add the pair ‘could fall victim to the round of changes being made by new co-owners Ineos’, while Benni McCarthy’s future also looks uncertain. The former Blackburn Rovers striker is an attacking coach at United and is out of contract from the start of July, with no clarity on his future at present.

All three joined United as part of Ten Hag’s team when he was appointed in 2022, while coach Erik Ramsey also departed the club earlier this season to take over at Minnesota United.

The news comes following wholesale changes from Ineos since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a minority shareholder at United in February. John Murtough, Richard Arnold, Patrick Steward, Cliff Baty and Ellie Norman are among the high-profile off-field departures in recent months, with Ineos bringing in their own appointments to replace them.