Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has displayed a no-nonsense approach during his tenure at Old Trafford, evident in his interactions with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo isn’t the only one facing consequences for behavior; two players, Alex Telles and Hannibal Mejbri, engaged in a training ground altercation before Ten Hag’s arrival and have since moved on to play elsewhere.
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The incident occurred under the leadership of the previous manager, Ralf Rangnick.
Internal discord surfaced following Manchester United’s disheartening 4-0 loss to Brighton at the close of the previous season, a period marked by low morale under the interim Austrian coach.
Although Erik ten Hag wasn’t at the helm then, he learned that Ralf Rangnick, the previous coach, had terminated the training session prematurely due to his intense displeasure with the actions of the two players.
Upon assuming control shortly afterward, Ten Hag swiftly sent Alex Telles on loan to Sevilla and secured Tyrell Malacia as a replacement left-back.
Initially escaping departure, Hannibal later faced the exit and secured a loan move to Birmingham City for the latter part of the 2022/23 season.
A year later, both players find themselves once more plying their trade away from Manchester United, with one departing permanently.
Alex Telles made a permanent move to Saudi Pro League’s Al-Nassr in July of the previous year, while Hannibal is set to embark on his second loan spell at Sevilla—the same club where his training ground adversary was sent before being sold the following year.
Hannibal’s loan agreement with Sevilla is reportedly structured with an option to purchase the Tunisian international permanently for £20 million, along with an additional £3 million in add-ons.
Manchester United has proactively incorporated a buy-back clause and a sell-on fee in case Hannibal pursues a move to another club following his stint in Spain.
The revelation might surprise some, given Hannibal’s significant contribution with 10 appearances in the early stages of the season.
Despite the return of players like Mason Mount and Casemiro to the Manchester United midfield, Hannibal would likely have struggled for regular first-team opportunities at Old Trafford.
Sevilla wasn’t the sole club expressing interest in securing Hannibal for the remainder of the season; Everton, managed by Sean Dyche, was also reportedly interested. However, the higher-ups in the United hierarchy considered Sevilla’s proposition more appealing.
