Natural Selection In Evolution

Erik ten Hag has extended his contract with Manchester United, the club confirmed Thursday.

His deal will run until 2026, and he will keep the title of "first team manager" after United triggered a one-year option.

Sources have told ESPN that discussions about revamping ten Hag's backroom staff are continuing, with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake set to arrive at Old Trafford.

"I am very pleased to have reached an agreement with the club to continue working together," ten Hag said.

"Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.

"However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles."

"In my discussions with the club," ten Hag continued. "We have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together."

Ten Hag will remain on the existing terms of his contract, meaning he will keep the transfer veto which formed part of the agreement when he arrived from Ajax in 2022.

Rather than negotiating a fresh deal, United have chosen to trigger a one-year extension which will keep ten Hag, 54, under contract until June 2026. His existing deal was due to expire in 2025.

Ten Hag's future was in serious doubt following a season which saw United finish eighth in the Premier League before ending on a high with victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

New sporting director Dan Ashworth said the end-of-season review "highlighted areas for improvement" but insisted ten Hag remains the right man for the job.

"With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football," Ashworth said, days after officially moving to United on Monday following drawn-out negotiations with Newcastle.

"While the club's review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes."

"This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level," Ashworth continued. "Now we need to do it more consistently.

"With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club."