Erik ten Hag said he has yet to agree a new contract with Manchester United and admitted it won't be “easy to do” after the club's new football regime told him his job at the Premier League side is secure. .
Ten Hag was informed last week by the Ineos-led football board that he would not be sacked as manager after winning the FA Cup, despite the team's eighth-place finish in the league.
But having agreed to retain the former Ajax coach, sources told ESPN that Ineos are ready to extend Ten Hag's contract beyond the final 12 months of his current deal.
Ten Hag has now said, however, that further talks are needed with United, who confirmed to him that they had spoken to former Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel about replacing him.
“Manchester United and I still have to reach an agreement for the new contract,” Ten Hag told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “This is not easy to do, we are still going to have to talk about it.
“United told me that they spoke with Tuchel, but finally they came to the conclusion that they already have the best coach.”
Ten Hag, who joined United in 2022, said he met club officials during a holiday on the Spanish island of Ibiza to sort out his future.
“Manchester United disrupted my holiday, they suddenly stopped at my door,” he said. “They flew me to Ibiza.
“Ineos took their time. They are new to football, it is normal to reflect on the season. It is no secret that they spoke with several candidates.
“Here in Holland this is 'not done', in fact, it is not even allowed here. But in England they have different rules and laws.
“As in any organization, and this seems very sensible to me, there is an evaluation. From there conclusions were drawn. The new management plays football for the first time.”
