Sir Jim Ratcliffe decides on 'kingmaker' to determine Erik ten Hag's future

Incoming Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada will have the final say on the future of manager Erik ten Hag, according to a report.

United have undergone a structural overhaul beginning with the onboarding of INEOS as new club shareholders, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchasing a 28% stake.

They have also agreed to bring in Berrada from rivals Manchester City once he serves a period of gardening leave, officially joining United from the beginning of the 2024/25 season.

The Manchester Evening News report Berrada, who has spent the last 13 years at City, will be given the power by Ratcliffe to decide on Ten Hag's future and has effectively been made 'kingmaker'. Ratcliffe is reluctant to be the person to make such a key decision and is keen to delegate such tasks to his main staff.

Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS' sporting director, will not have the power to remove Ten Hag from his post despite being the one to undertake a club-wide audit.

Ten Hag recently eased criticism on his and United's performances with a dramatic 4-3 win at home to rivals Liverpool in the sixth round of the FA Cup, setting up a favourable semi-final tie with Championship side Coventry City.

However, United face an uphill battle if they are to secure qualification back to the Champions League, sitting nine points behind Aston Villa in fourth and six adrift of Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.

The Red Devils return to action on Saturday night with a trip to Brentford, where they lost 4-0 last season in Ten Hag's second game in charge. Bees boss Thomas Frank has been linked with the United job in recent days.

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