Erik ten Hag accuses Man United chiefs of breaking 'promises' that they would not sell Scott McTominay, made in infamous Ibiza contract summit, as he picks apart their transfer business

Erik ten Hag has accused his former Manchester United bosses of breaking promises during his ill-fated spell at Old Trafford, claiming that they sold Scott McTominay against his wishes.

The Dutchman, 56, was sacked by Manchester United in October 2024 after a string of poor results, just months after leading the club to FA Cup glory and signing a one-year contract extension until 2026.

Ten Hag's future had been in doubt after he led United to a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the Premier League, but the club ultimately chose to stick by him after meeting for crunch talks in Ibiza that summer.

According to Ten Hag, United's chiefs made promises and failed to keep them, particularly in the transfer market.

He told The Athletic: 'I wouldn't go on with only one year left. So I said, "I need an extra year and we have to do it together".

'They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication, that we get aligned. We spoke about the issues. But the promises, they didn't keep.'

Erik ten Hag has accused his former Manchester United bosses of breaking promises

The Dutchman claims Man United's chiefs sold Scott McTominay to Napoli against his wishes

Keeping McTominay at Old Trafford was one of those promises, according to Ten Hag.

The Scot was sold to Napoli for £25million in the summer of 2024 and has since gone on to become one of the top midfielders in Italy, becoming a fan favourite at the Serie A club after steering them to the title in his first season.

He even earned a Ballon d'Or nomination and was compared to Argentina icon Diego Maradona by adoring Napoli fans.

On McTominay, Ten Hag said: 'That's why I got disappointed. In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, "No selling Scott McTominay". We would go aligned in the transfer window.

'I make an argument, a reason: we don't have scoring abilities. Scott brings scoring abilities and great mentality. He has United in all his veins. So when they bring up the subject, "No". And in the end they sold him. I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed.'

McTominay's transfer to Napoli was used by United's chiefs to raise funds for £42m midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who has struggled to impress since his arrival.

The Uruguayan, who is currently out injured with an anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered at the World Cup, was mostly used as a squad player under Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick last season.

Ten Hag's accusation against his former bosses comes just days after Lisandro Martinez explosively hit out at Manchester United's summer transfer strategy.

The defender accused the club's hierarchy of lacking ambition and singled out director of football Jason Wilcox for failing to build a competitive squad after Carrick guided the team to the Champions League as interim manager last season.

McTominay has flourished in Naples and played a key role in the club's 2024-25 title triumph

Asked if Carrick was backed enough over the summer after United's 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid last Tuesday, Martinez said: 'I don't think so. He does his best. You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager.

'What about other areas? Tonight it is easy to say the coach and easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.

'I expect more (investment) 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director. I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection of the mirror of how is our club at the moment.

'We did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top; more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well.'