Ten Hag’s pay-off if he’s sacked would take club’s total on firing managers

ERIK TEN HAG is set for the second-biggest compensation payout of any Manchester United manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Ten Hag, 54, could be managing his final game as United boss after the trip to Aston Villa today.

After the 3-0 drubbing against Tottenham last week, it was widely reported that Ten Hag was given two games to save his job.

The first of those games ended in a 3-3 draw with Porto, with today's test at Villa Park potentially do-or-die.

Club chiefs, including co-chairman Joel Glazer and Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are set to hold a meeting in London on Tuesday.

And while it is not clear whether the managerial situation is on the agenda, a decision could well be made over the international break.

However, after handing the Dutchman a one-year extension to take his contract to 2025/26, it has now been revealed how much he could earn as a compensation package.

According to Goal, the former Ajax boss is in line to pocket £17.5million if United give him the boot - around half the figure saved by the after making 250 members of staff redundant.

That is understood to be £7.5m more than the £10m it would have cost the club to terminate his contract in the summer before he was handed an extension.

It is also a figure which is the second-highest among Red Devils bosses in the post-Fergie era.

That title instead goes to Jose Mourinho, who was reportedly awarded £19.6m when he was sacked in December 2018.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager who replaced Mourinho and the longest-serving manager at Old Trafford since Ferguson, was paid £7.5m.

Ralf Rangnick - who warned the club needed "open-heart surgery" back in 2022 - made the most money for his time at United, raking in £15m after his six months in interim charge of the team.

Louis van Gaal was paid £8.4m after leaving United, while David Moyes was paid £5m.

These figures take the total sum of payouts the club has made in the last decade for managerial compensation packages to a staggering £73m.

In terms of potential replacements for Ten Hag, assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has been linked with the job on an interim basis.

However, he is said to have reservations about taking the job after a similar situation transpired during his time at PSV Eindhoven when he accused his assistant and senior players of conspiring with club directors in the Spring of 2023.

Other linked bosses include Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Simeone Inzaghi.

But reports suggest the latter has rejected an offer, while SunSport exclusively reported how Tuchel turned down the job in the summer.