Erik ten Hag isn’t holding back, laying into Manchester United bosses for straight-up breaking promises to him and admitting the sale of Scott McTominay left him “embarrassed.” This isn’t just a manager talking after an exit, this is a damning attack on Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team, coming in ten Hag’s first major interview since he was sacked back in October 2024.
Broken Promises and a Quick Exit
Think about this: ten Hag captured the FA Cup in May 2024, adding to his Carabao Cup from the season before, and had even signed a contract extension. Yet, his ground at United was still precarious. The club was out there talking to Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi that summer before making a u-turn and activating a clause to prolong ten Hag’s tenure, according to The Mirror. But that was a fleeting decision, wasn’t it? Ratcliffe and the United executives made the call to fire the former Ajax boss right after a disappointing defeat by West Ham United. Ten Hag spoke candidly about it two years on in an interview with The Athletic, explaining his side of the story. “I wouldn’t go on with only one year left,” he said. “So I said, ‘I need an extra year and we have to do it together’. They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication, that we get aligned. We spoke about the issues. But the promises, they didn’t keep.” It sounds like a total breakdown behind the scenes, you know?
The McTominay Betrayal That Still Stings
One of those massive commitments ten Hag claims was broken? They promised to keep midfielder Scott McTominay. This wasn’t some bit-part player either, McTominay had netted 10 goals in the 2023/2024 season! Ten Hag laid out his argument for keeping him: “We don’t have scoring abilities. Scott brings scoring abilities and great mentality. He has United in all his veins.” He even said they agreed in Ibiza, “No selling Scott McTominay.” But what happened? United went ahead and offloaded the academy product to Napoli for £25 million, or $33 million, a move that left ten Hag “very embarrassed and disappointed.” And the kicker? McTominay has absolutely flourished in Italy, bagging 27 goals and 10 assists in 85 appearances for Napoli, and even guiding them to the Serie A title in his debut campaign! United, meanwhile, used that money to bring in Manuel Ugarte for £50 million ($55.3 million) from Paris Saint-Germain. That’s a decision that’s looking worse by the day, isn’t it?
More Transfer Headaches
And it wasn’t just McTominay’s exit that had ten Hag ripping his hair out. He says he pushed hard for other big names, like Frenkie de Jong, Declan Rice, and Harry Kane. When it came to De Jong, ten Hag was clear he wasn’t involved in the money side of things. “Everyone’s thinking the manager is doing the negotiations, that I’m involved in financial issues, but I was never,” he said. He did his best, setting up meetings with former chief executive Richard Arnold and ex-football director John Murtough to try and bring De Jong over. He believed De Jong “could have been very important.” It’s clear ten Hag felt a real disconnect between his vision and what the club’s bosses actually delivered.
Two years on, ten Hag’s words hit hard, pulling back the curtain on a messy exit that clearly still stings. It’s a stark reminder that even with big names and big money, broken promises behind the scenes can sink a whole ship.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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