Manchester United are en route to a major overhaul from player roster to staff since Sir Jim Ratcliffe joined the board. Former Red Devils midfielder Darren Fletcher has been serving the role of technical director at his former club since 2021, but it looks like the hierarchy has someone new in mind.
Jason Wilcox, the former Blackburn winger, currently serves as the technical director of Southampton. Wilcox is currently regarded as one of the best at his job. Despite being a hot target for many clubs, Manchester United have reportedly enticed the 53-year-old to join them at Old Trafford, which has left Southampton fans disheartened.
Jason Wilcox ready to leave Southampton for Manchester
Manchester United is in the process of reorganizing their football department and they are considering bringing in Southampton’s Jason Wilcox. The club is confident about securing Wilcox, but Southampton, who are aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League, are seeking a higher compensation package and are unhappy with the timing of United’s approach.
It is believed that United has offered around a year of the former Blackburn winger’s salary in compensation, with Ratcliffe considering him a key figure in the club’s reshaping.
After the announcement last month that Manchester City’s chief football operations manager, Omar Berrada, will move to United this summer, the new minority owner, Ineos, has begun work on hiring a management team to transform the club after a period of decline.
Wilcox is highly thought of by Ineos and Berrada, who worked alongside Berrada at City as academy director. Wilcox spent almost a decade at City and is credited with progressing the careers of Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, and Cole Palmer, among others.
Wilcox left City to help rebuild Saints after more than a decade at the club but could be reunited with Omar Berrada, United’s incoming chief executive officer, who resigned from a similar role at City in January.
Manchester United’s rivals interested to bring in Jason Wilcox
Liverpool has recently appointed Richard Hughes as their new sporting director, which has left some people wondering about the potential interest in Jason Wilcox. However, Wilcox’s previous role as academy technical director at Manchester City was highly praised. It’s possible that Liverpool may consider appointing him for a similar role under Hughes.
And it sounds like United are doing similar. They’re still trying to get Ashworth, with Newcastle putting him on gardening leave as they attempt to negotiate.
This ongoing saga between two big clubs is quite intriguing as they attempt to rebuild their entire technical staff.
Will Manchester United secure their dream technical staff, or will Liverpool come up with some shocking offers in the coming days? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
