Ten Hag says Man Utd's new investors 'want to work with me'

Ratcliffe's INEOS group finally agreed a deal to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United on Christmas Eve. INEOS will have responsibility for United's footballing operations under the terms of a deal that is expected to take four to six weeks to receive regulatory approval.

Dave Brailsford, INEOS' director of sport, was at Old Trafford on Boxing Day for the 3-2 win against Aston Villa, a result which gave the under-fire Ten Hag some much-needed breathing space.

United travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday languishing in seventh place in the Premier League and have already been eliminated from the Champions League and the League Cup.

Despite his rocky second season in charge, Ten Hag is confident Ratcliffe is keen to develop a working relationship to get United back on track.

"The schedule is so condensed so I didn't have the time so far to speak with them, but it will come and I look forward to it. They want to work with me, I want to work with them. We will have the conversations, the meetings, so we will see," Ten Hag told reporters on Friday.

Asked if he is expecting INEOS to be a regular presence at United's Carrington training base, Ten Hag said: "I'm focused on the game so far. So, I said, no, in this moment I don't want to have distractions but in the coming days, weeks, there will be time for this and then I know more.

"But I think it's a good thing, it's very positive and, as I said, we are really looking forward to working together. INEOS wants to work with me, in this structure, and I want to work with them."

The unpopular Glazer family remain the majority shareholders at Old Trafford. But a United States Securities and Exchange Commission filing related to the deal contains a provision guaranteeing that INEOS