An explosive winger, Jason Wilcox is Southampton’s record acquisition. Erik ten Hag and Man Utd faced up for
Manchester United is working hard to get Southampton’s Jason Wilcox hired.
It appears that Manchester United will choose Jason Wilcox as its next technical director.
Wilcox would take over for Darren Fletcher, who would step down to take on a job more appropriate to his real one as a liaison between the first squad and academy.
As Ineos starts a significant internal restructuring, the former head of Manchester City’s academy will serve as an important link for the team until Dan Ashworth is cleared to join.
Jason Wilcox at Southampton signed a record
Southampton appointed Jason Wilcox as their director of football in January 2023. He was only able to work throughout one summer transfer window.
In fact, he signed the £25 million contract to recruit winger Kamaldeen Sulemana on deadline day during his first window, making that his biggest signing at the Saints.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because, according to De Telegraaf, Manchester United was involved in a bidding war with Erik ten Hag’s Ajax in 2021, with a view to signing Sulemana.
After making his reputation at the Danish team Nordsjaelland, Sulemana ultimately chose to join neither, joining the French side Rennes.
He moved to Southampton last year because of his great potential; the Saints considered him to be a significant investment for the future.
He made an impression by helping Southampton to a 4–4 Premier League tie with Liverpool by scoring two goals.
After suffering injuries, Sulemana had a rough spell at the Saints. However, manager Russell Martin recently praised Sulemana, telling The Echo, “The way he’s trained over the last month or two has been outstanding.”
The action demonstrates Wilcox’s willingness to take a chance on young athletes with a lot of promise. Sulemana is just 22 years old. He will probably have more hits than misses at City, given his history of nurturing young players.
Prominent additions Wilcox, Jason, left for Southampton.
Jason Wilcox was involved in the Southampton transfer market both in January and the summer before. Here are a few of the noteworthy agreements he managed to get for the Championship promotion candidates.
Shea Charles: For £10.5 million, Southampton raided Manchester City’s academy to get the defensive midfield player. This season, he has made 33 appearances across all competitions.
Ross Stewart: The Sunderland striker scored 36 goals in two seasons for the Black Cats before being acquired by the Saints for £8 million.
Ryan Manning: After spending three years at Swansea City, the 27-year-old full-back was signed on a free transfer in an astute move. This season, he has made 26 starts.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis: Once again, Wilcox looked to City’s academy to sign the player on a season-long loan. The captain of the England under-21 team has so far made 35 appearances.
Ussamane Djalo: Southampton signed the Porto prospect on a creative loan arrangement on deadline day, keeping him signed till the end of the season. The midfielder for the Portuguese under-19 national team is a member of the Saints’ under-21 squad.
These agreements satisfied Wilcox’s old City ties and Southampton’s attraction as a Championship team while working within the more constrained budget of the latter. Wilcox was also not afraid to pay when it came to signing experienced players from the division.
The latest trade for Djalo is intriguing; Wilcox is searching overseas for exceptional young players to try to bring him into the Saints’ system and set up a possible trade in the future.
Jason Wilcox at Southampton Records record sale
The £58 million transfer of Romeo Lavia to Chelsea was the largest transaction during Jason Wilcox’s time at Southampton.
Before Wilcox signed the defensive midfielder to the Saints before his own arrival, he was part of the Manchester City academy.
With Southampton relegated, it was time to cash in, and after a fierce bidding battle between Chelsea and Liverpool, an astounding fee was achieved.
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