Manchester United have formally approached Southampton regarding the potential acquisition of Jason Wilcox as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s summer recruitment overhaul.
Who Is Jason Wilcox?
United are keen on securing the services of Jason Wilcox, who took up the position of director of football at Southampton last year, to play a key role in their revamped football department as a technical director.
It’s been reported that Manchester United have proposed compensating Southampton with roughly one year’s worth of salary for Jason Wilcox, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe considers him essential in his quest to transform the club.
However, Southampton, who are eager to make a swift return to the Premier League, are pushing for a more substantial compensation deal and are displeased with the timing of Manchester United’s approach.
If a deal is reached, Wilcox would join forces with Dan Ashworth, the incoming director of football who was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle in February, as part of Manchester United’s new operational structure.
The plan would involve the former Blackburn Rovers winger reporting to Ashworth, who will then report to Omar Berrada, the incoming chief executive at Manchester United and formerly the chief football operations officer at City.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his British billionaire-owned company, INEOS, have been keen to immediately make an impact upon finalising their acquisition of a 25 percent stake in United. This move is yet another clear indication of their ambitious intentions.
▪︎ Dave Brailsford.
▪︎ Omar Berrada.
▪︎ Dan Ashworth.
▪︎ Jason Wilcox.Sir Jim Ratcliffe has now started open heart surgery at Manchester United. pic.twitter.com/wmubrrx0yg
— KOD (@Kingofdreams01) April 2, 2024
Why Are Manchester United Interested In Him?
The 52-year-old from Bolton had a successful playing career, securing three caps for England and playing a vital role in Blackburn’s Premier League title win during the 1994/95 season.
After retiring in 2006, he transitioned to a role as an academy coach at Manchester City six years later.
While serving as the head coach of the club’s men’s under-18s, Wilcox guided them to a national championship win and led them to two appearances in the FA Youth Cup final, contributing to the club’s reputation as one of the top youth setups in England.
In October 2017, he was officially named academy director after serving in the role on an interim basis since June of that year. He is recognized for overseeing the progress of players such as Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, Cole Palmer, and Oscar Bobb during his tenure at City.
Since his arrival at Southampton, Wilcox has played a significant role in attracting several talented youngsters from Manchester City to the club. Last summer, the Saints secured the signings of Shea Charles and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Additionally, Roméo Lavia, Gavin Bazunu, Samuel Edozie, and Juan Larios had previously made the switch from City to Southampton.
It is widely acknowledged within the football industry that Wilcox is an exceptional operator, and many observers agree that United’s interest in him is entirely unsurprising.
Just as there were doubts about his ability to excel at Southampton without prior experience at the first-team level, some may now question whether he has the necessary experience to succeed in a senior first-team role at Old Trafford.
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