Southampton FC latest: Stuart Armstrong boost, Jason Wilcox to Man Utd latest | OneFootball

It has been a disappointing few weeks for Southampton in the Championship.

The Saints had emerged as serious automatic promotion contenders after a remarkable 25-game unbeaten run in all competitions between September and February, but after a decline in form, they will likely have to settle for a place in the play-offs.

Southampton are now without a win in their last three games after they were held to a 0-0 draw by relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday.

Adam Armstrong, Joe Aribo and Che Adams all went close for the Saints, but they failed to register a shot on target until the 80th minute as their top two hopes suffered a further blow.

Russell Martin's side currently sit fourth in the table, 12 points behind second-placed Ipswich Town and 13 points behind leaders Leicester City, and they are back in action when they host Coventry City at St Mary's on Tuesday night.

As the countdown to kick off continues, we rounded up all the latest Southampton news.

Stuart Armstrong boost

Midfielder Armstrong has played a key role for Southampton this season, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 41 appearances in all competitions, but he missed the game against Blackburn on Saturday due to concussion.

It was the first time Armstrong had not featured in a league game this campaign, but Martin revealed the 32-year-old will be available for the visit of Coventry, while defender James Bree will also return to the squad after serving a one-match ban following his red card in the defeat at Ipswich on Easter Monday.

"Stuart's back in the squad. Yeah, and James Bree, obviously," Martin told the Daily Echo.

"That's a really good thing. There are going to be maybe one or two left out of the squad that will be difficult, for sure. But everyone is fit.

"Everyone is firing and we definitely need a reaction after Saturday. I'm not happy with the performance one bit.

"So, we'll be clear with the players what we thought was the problem on Saturday. I'm happy with the clean sheet.

"I'm happy with the willingness to defend the box and the mentality but I'm not happy with much else about the performance, to be honest."

Jason Wilcox to Man Utd latest

Sky Sports reported last week that Manchester United have made an approach to Southampton for director of football Jason Wilcox.

United are keen to make Wilcox their Technical Director as new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to reshape the club's board, and "an offer equivalent to a year of his salary has been made".

There is a disagreement between the two clubs over the existence of a buyout clause in Wilcox's contract at St Mary's, while the Saints are said to be "annoyed at the manner and timing of United's approach".

Journalist Ben Jacobs provided the latest on Wilcox's potential move to Old Trafford, revealing that a compensation package is yet to be agreed.

"Manchester United want Jason Wilcox, Jason Wilcox wants Manchester United - it is as simple as that," Jacobs told Give Me Sport.

"Wilcox has told Southampton that he wants to leave to be the technical director, and it’s now just about compensation between the two clubs.

"Otherwise, Wilcox will be forced to see out his notice period which is a year, and that is obviously the last thing that Manchester United want, especially given that it’s looking unlikely that Dan Ashworth will be able to influence this summer.

"The advantage if Southampton and Manchester United can agree a package for Wilcox is that he might well be able to influence this summer, and that will help with continuity."

Trabzonspor plotting fresh striker bid

It did not work out for striker Paul Onuachu at Southampton after his £18.6 million move from Genk last January.

Onuachu had an impressive record in the Belgian top flight in the first half of last season prior to his arrival at St Mary's, scoring 17 goals in 22 appearances, and there was hope that he could fire the Saints to Premier League safety.

However, Onuachu failed to score in 11 games as Southampton were relegated to the Championship, and he made a loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor in September.

Onuachu has netted nine goals and registered three assists in 19 games this season, and it was reported in February that Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan had started negotiations with the Saints over a €10m deal for the 29-year-old, instead of the Saints' asking price of €12m.

That difference in valuation has proven to be a stumbling block in negotiations, and as a result, Trabzonspor are now reportedly attempting to secure another loan for Onuachu, rather than a permanent deal.

It remains to be seen whether Southampton would sanction a temporary exit for Onuachu again this summer, but despite being under contract at the club until 2026, he seems unlikely to be in Martin's plans going forward.