Southampton are reportedly in talks to appoint Luton Town manager Nathan Jones to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was sacked by the Saints this week after their 4-1 loss against Newcastle United on Sunday.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the south coast Premier League side are moving fast to find a replacement for Hasenhuttl, with Championship boss Jones seemingly the early favourite to take over from the Austrian manager ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup break.
Jones is regarded as one of the EFL’s most exciting coaches after guiding Luton from League Two to the Championship in two spells with the Hatters, with the second-tier side coming close a play-off spot last season as the Bedfordshire side look to make history this campaign and win promotion to the Premier League.
Despite having a short and disastrous spell at Stoke City in 2019, Jones’ reputation is one of the best in the Championship. And for Southampton, talks are now ongoing with the former Welsh footballer to bring the coach to St. Mary’s, ideally after the World Cup break in December.
Indeed, Southampton seem to be taking a different approach to appointing a successor to Hasenhuttl. Yet whilst Jones is highly-rated, the Saints could do better than the Luton boss, who might find the Premier League a step too far in his managerial career.
Southampton appointing Nathan Jones could end in flames
Jones’ work at Luton is nothing short of a miracle, with the Welsh coach taking the Hatters from the brink of EFL survival all the way to the Championship in the span of a few years. Yet moving to Southampton could be a disastrous move for the coach based on just how big the jump is.
After all, Southampton need someone who can not only save them from relegation but who can also help build their Premier League reputation back from the ground up. And for Jones, the Welsh coach could easily fail to do just this if appointed by the Saints in the coming weeks.
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