'That is what they always tell me' - Erik ten Hag on Ineos talks at Manchester United

Erik ten Hag claimed Ineos bosses have told him more than once that they want him to remain as Manchester United manager despite overseeing an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

Club officials have sounded out potential replacements this week but the decision over Ten Hag's future took a twist with a surprise FA Cup triumph at Wembley, with United beating Manchester City 2-1 to salvage some silverware and a place in Europe from a dismal campaign.

Ten Hag again pointed to the injuries he has had to contend with this season as mitigation for the underperformance in the Premier League and said he felt his team were on track at the end of his second season. Whether it is enough to convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford remains to be seen.

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The Dutchman had said in an interview in the Netherlands on the morning of the cup final that Ineos had told him they wanted him to stay and he repeated that claim in his post-match press conference at Wembley, but he refused to divulge when the conversation had taken place, beyond saying he had heard the same message more than once.

"That is what they always tell me," he said when asked if Ineos had told him directly they wanted him to stay.

Pushed on when that had happened, Ten Hag said: "How many times do I have to tell you? Every time is the same question. Do I have to repeat myself 10, 15, 20 times?

"They don’t have to tell me every week if they tell me so often. I never - and I was in some clubs before - [get told] every day you are the best and I want to build with you. I heard it many times."

United have spoken to