Southampton were forced back to square one in their hunt to replace Nathan Jones after talks with Jesse Marsch collapsed.
According to The Athletic, the American looked set to join the Saints just days after losing his job at Leeds.
However, negotiations between Southampton and Marsch collapsed due to a disagreement on contract length.
Now, Jacob Tanswell – Southampton correspondent for The Athletic – has provided new details.
What’s the story?
Well – according to Tanswell – Southampton were left shocked as they felt their initial offer of a six-month contract with the option for an extension went down well with Marsch.
It is said that Southampton felt talks with the 49-year-old were positive, and there was optimism over an agreement following a meeting between all parties on Monday.
However, it has since emerged that Marsch wanted a longer contract, something Southampton were not keen on committing to given the current circumstances.
As Tanswell states, it is a setback for Southampton, who had evidently hoped to make a swift appointment after handing Jones his P45 on Monday, following a disastrous 2-1 defeat to Wolves.
Who Southampton could turn to after Jesse Marsch
Interestingly, Southampton could decide to hand the reins to Ruben Selles for the remainder of the season.
That is according to the Telegraph, who believe the 39-year-old is being viewed as a genuine candidate to replace Jones, possibly for the long-term.
Selles took charge of Southampton on an interim basis for one game after Ralph Hasenhuttl was sacked back in November, guiding the Saints to a penalty shootout win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup having drawn 1-1 in normal time.
Be sure to keep an eye on the situation, as Southampton are yet to make an official announcement on their decision.
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