Southampton are considering hiring an experienced coach to work alongside Ruben Selles after seeing talks with Jesse Marsch over the vacant manager job break down, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The Saints were hopeful of bringing in Jesse Marsch as their new manager after sacking Nathan Jones last weekend. There were claims that they were edging closer to signing the American tactician.
Southampton reportedly held initial talks with the former Leeds United manager on Monday, February 13. It was widely expected that a deal would be struck as the negotiations were said to have been positive.
However, it has now emerged that talks between the two parties over the vacant manager job at St. Mary’s have broken down. The negotiations came to a halt after they could not reach an agreement over the length of the contract.
First team lead coach Ruben Selles is now tipped to take charge of the team for their upcoming Premier League match against Chelsea. The two teams are scheduled to lock horns at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, February 18.
Selles is highly regarded at St. Mary’s and there is optimism that he will do a good job in the interim. According to the aforementioned source, he is been increasingly seen as a potential longer-term option since Jones’ departure.
The Hampshire-based club are also said to be thinking about the possibility of hiring a more experienced coach to work alongside the 39-year-old. The potential duo would then be tasked with steering the team clear of the relegation zone.
Why did Southampton’s talks with Marsch break down?
Southampton wanted to bring in Marsch on a short-term deal, while also offering an option to extend it further. However, such a proposal did not appeal to the American, who was sacked as Leeds boss earlier this month.
Marsch was in charge of the Yorkshire-based club for a year after taking charge of the club in February 2022. He was widely expected to return to management with the Saints, but that deal is now off.