Major off-field Southampton news emerges as Man Utd target key figure | OneFootball

Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox has resigned as he looks to join Manchester United as their technical director.

Man Utd looking to appoint Southampton’s Jason Wilcox

The 53-year-old enjoyed a successful playing career that saw him win the Premier League with Blackburn, and he would also win three caps for England.

Since retiring, he has developed a reputation as a shrewd operator behind the scenes, initially impressing with Manchester City’s academy, where he started off as a coach before becoming a director, with several exciting talents coming through under his guidance.

That prompted Southampton to move for Wilcox, and he officially started his role as director of football in the summer, as he worked closely with Russell Martin.

However, his future has been in doubt for some time, as reports emerged earlier this year that the Red Devils were targeting Wilcox as they continue their rebuild under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Jason Wilcox resigns from Southampton role

Discussions between the two clubs appear to have been going on in the background, but it appears nothing could be agreed.

Therefore, in a bid to push through the move, journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Wilcox has quit Saints.

“Jason Wilcox has resigned from Southampton — he’s set to join Manchester United as new technical director! Southampton refuse to accept the fee so Wilcox will resign as he wants to join Man United’s project.

“.”

Southampton’s summer plans

This is obviously a big blow for Southampton, as Wilcox holds a key position at the club, and he is central to the project that the owners want to build, and he was behind the many deals they've made this season.

But, you have sympathy for the club here, as there’s not much they can do.

It seems like United are pushing to bring Wilcox in, with Southampton standing firm, yet Wilcox is now taking action himself in a bid to make this happen.

There may be a frustration at the Championship side that Wilcox isn’t repaying the faith they showed in him, but you can understand the appeal of Man United, so it was always going to be difficult to convince him to stay.

Ultimately, you would expect him to get his way, but Saints will be entitled to compensation, and something will have to be agreed before he can start working at Old Trafford.

For Southampton, it’s a setback, but you can be sure that Martin and the players are focused on trying to win promotion, and this won’t impact their bid to return to the Premier League.

It’s more of an issue for the owners, who will need to have a replacement lined up, as it’s crucial that Southampton have everything in place ahead of the summer window.

Whether they’re in the Premier League or the Championship, there will be a lot of business to do, and we know that the recruitment team must identify specific players who can adapt and play in the way that the head coach demands. So, it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.