An immediate goal for Erik ten Hag is to get the side back into the Champions League after the club missed out last season.
Manchester United are already feeling the dire effects of missing out on Europe’s top tier competition, with Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wanting to leave the club due to this.
A lack of Champions League football is also causing problems among potential signings, with some targets turning down interest in favour of other clubs who are in the competition.
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Erik ten Hag is confident that the club will be back in the Champions League next season, and has said that not being in the competition is “painful.”
Speaking to Parool back in May, Ten Hag said: "Manchester United will not play the Champions League next season.
“Painful for United, but also for me. It's a competition I'm going to miss incredibly. But the fact that I'm going to work in the Premier League makes up for a lot.
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It has since been revealed that should the Dutchman land the club back in the Premier League’s top four next season, he will be entitled to a £3 million bonus, with his contract reportedly being ‘loaded with incentives’.
If the club fails to qualify, they could lose out on a further £90 million due to the loss of TV revenue and certain contract clauses with kit supplier Adidas.
If United miss out on the Champions League for a second season running, the £75 million-a-year deal with adidas will be cut by a third as per the terms of the 10-year contract between the two clubs.
Ronaldo leaving the club will also become a huge short-term commercial loss, with his shirts selling hundreds of millions of pounds worth each season.
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So far, there have been many positive signs with regards to Erik ten Hag’s era at the club on the field, with United returning from their pre-season tour in Bangkok and Australia with three wins and a draw.
Tour 2022 started with a blinding result against Liverpool, beating the long-standing rivals 4-0 thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellsitri, before flying to Melbourne to score another four in a 4-1 victory with Anthony Martial once again on the score sheet, combining with Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and an own goal created by Tahith Chong.
The third fixture, against Crystal Palace, saw Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all on the score sheet plus a fantastic performance from Bruno Fernandes – a front four that has excited United fans so far on tour.
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Speaking on the front four, Ten Hag said: I am really happy also with performances of our midfield department and offensive department at this moment,” Ten Hag explained.
“But I also know about this season - it's a lot of games, the World Cup, so we need more options."
The fourth fixture saw the side draw 2-2 due to two second half goals for Aston Villa, including a last-minute header from Callum Chambers, cancel out strikes from Jadon Sancho and an own goal from Matty Cash in the first half.
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Manchester United are set to take on Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, on 7 August.
Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo
Dylan Penketh