Erik ten Hag felt 'embarrassed' by Man United over Scott McTominay sale

Erik ten Hag has shed light on one of the most painful chapters of his time at Manchester United. In a recent interview, the Dutch coach admitted he felt 'very embarrassed and disappointed' when the club sold Scott McTominay to Napoli in the summer of 2024, breaking a verbal agreement that, according to his account, had been reached during negotiations over his contract renewal. The departure of the Scottish academy product became one of the biggest points of friction with the leadership headed by Jim Ratcliffe.

• Ten Hag claims United promised him not to sell McTominay during talks in Ibiza.
• The midfielder was sold to Napoli for £25.7m, money later used to sign Manuel Ugarte.
• The Dutchman criticises Ineos' leadership for a lack of communication and broken promises.
• Despite everything, he insists he has 'wonderful memories' of his time at Old Trafford.
• Ten Hag backs Michael Carrick and believes sacking him would not be the solution.

What promise did Manchester United break with Erik ten Hag?

The conflict stemmed from talks held before the club triggered the one-year extension in Ten Hag's contract in the summer of 2023, shortly after winning the FA Cup against Manchester City. Ten Hag says that during a meeting in Ibiza, it was agreed that Scott McTominay would not leave the club. The manager argued his case clearly: the team lacked goalscoring ability, and the Scot offered both a threat in the box and a competitive mentality that was essential to the squad.

However, a few months later the club sold the player to Napoli for close to £26 million. With that money, United went on to sign Manuel Ugarte to strengthen the midfield. The move left a deep wound in Ten Hag, who experienced McTominay's departure as a break in the trust he had placed in the board.

I said, 'No selling Scott McTominay'. In the end they sold him. I got very embarrassed and disappointed.

Jim Ratcliffe's role and the Ineos era at United

The Dutchman did not hide his frustration with the leadership group led by Jim Ratcliffe since late 2023. He described the takeover process as a period of 'a lot of noise, uncertainty and disruptions' that made day-to-day work extremely difficult. Even though United had just lifted the FA Cup, the internal feeling was not one of a settled project, and Ten Hag believes many of the promises of loyalty, backing and communication proved to be empty words.

He also pointed to disagreements over the exact nature of his role. According to his version, after a first meeting at Carrington, Ratcliffe raised the idea that the position should be that of a 'head coach' rather than a 'manager', something that did not match what was written in his contract. That conversation, he says, never had any follow-up and was not resolved clearly, which only increased the sense of structural disorder.

Scott McTominay's success at Napoli

The decision to sell McTominay hurt particularly at Old Trafford because of the player's immediate impact in Italy. The Scot became a key figure for Napoli in his first Serie A season, helping the club win the Scudetto. His ability to arrive in the box and his physical presence fitted perfectly into the Italian system, confirming the qualities Ten Hag had defended all along.

Backing for Michael Carrick and criticism of the sporting strategy

Despite his criticism of the board, Ten Hag was sympathetic towards the situation of the current United head coach, Michael Carrick. After a difficult start to the season, the Dutchman argued that dismissing Carrick would be a mistake and that the team's problems would not be solved by changing manager. For him, the key lies in the quality of the people running the club and in defining a clear playing identity.

In his assessment, Ten Hag insisted that a club needs time, proper structures and competent people in decision-making positions. Without a well-defined strategy covering everything from playing philosophy to individual profiles, any manager is doomed to fail. That lack of coherence between what was promised and what was delivered is, in his view, what undermined his spell in Manchester.

Frequently asked questions about Erik ten Hag's United exit