Southampton were hopeful of hiring Jesse Marsch as their new manager, but talks between the two parties have broken down, according to The Athletic.
The Saints began the hunt for a new manager after sacking Nathan Jones, who was in charge of the club for only 94 days, last weekend. While a number of names were mooted, they eventually turned their attention towards Marsch.
It even emerged that Southampton were set to name the American tactician as their replacement for Jones. It was widely expected that a deal would be struck after talks were held on Monday, February 13.
However, negotiations between the two parties over a deal have broken down, according to the aforementioned source. It appears the club and the manager could not reach an agreement over the length of the contract.
The Hampshire-based club wanted Marsch to agree to a short-term deal with an option to extend it further. The proposal, though, was not deemed acceptable by the 49-year-old, who was sacked as Leeds United boss earlier this month.
It now remains to be seen if both parties will make an effort to revive talks over a deal. Meanwhile, the players will continue preparing for their weekend’s trip to Chelsea under Ruben Selles’ guidance.
Selles likely to take charge of Southampton against Chelsea
Southampton’s talks with Marsch breaking down means that first team lead coach Selles is now likely to take charge of the team this weekend. The Saints are scheduled to face Graham Potter’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, February 18.
As per The Athletic, several senior figures at the club rate Selles highly and are optimistic that he can do a good job in the interim. The coach impressed the players in training this week after he made it clear to them that they have to step up their efforts.