Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS receive Man Utd boost after manager contract update

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will be pleased with the latest updates coming from Spain as they debate their next moves at Manchester United.

United were able to beat Sheffield United on Wednesday evening in their first Premier League encounter since Jason Wilcox entered the building as the new technical director.

Wilcox has reportedly been tasked with assessing the manager, Erik ten Hag, and the current team before the end of the season, essentially placing the Dutch coach on trial.

There are uncertainties over the head coach situation for next season, with Ten Hag’s future in doubt after a tough second season at the club.

However, it has been well reported that one of the concerns of those at INEOS and United regarding the managerial situation is the available managers right now.

There are not tons of exciting options and there are also several other big clubs looking for their own new head coach, making a level of competition for United if they did decide to part ways with Ten Hag.

However, a new update could be good news for Ratcliffe and his team, with Barcelona making a U-Turn over their decision to part ways with Xavi as manager.

The former midfielder took over his ex-club in 2021 and won the 2022/23 La Liga title. However, after a disappointing campaign this term, it was announced that the Spaniard would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Barcelona are perhaps one of the only clubs with a similar lure as United, which might have caused a problem if both clubs eventually aimed to sign the same manager in the summer.

Yet, after an upturn in form, the decision between Xavi and Barcelona has been reversed, with the manager set to stay for the 2024/25 campaign.

Whilst this may not actually impact United if it is decided for Ten Hag to stay at Old Trafford, if they are searching for a new manager in the summer, they will definitely be glad that there is one less top level club also in the mix.