SAINTS have reportedly approached Manchester City’s academy director, Jason Wilcox, to fill their director of football role.

Current director of football operations at Staplewood, Matt Crocker, is due to leave the club at the end of the 2022-23 season.

It is Crocker’s second spell working at Saints after rejoining in January 2020, having managed the successful academy between 2006-2013.

Sport Republic are looking to fill a number of football roles with head of recruitment Joe Shields also leaving to join Chelsea, just months after first arriving at St Mary’s.

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Fabrizio Romano reports that Saints have approached Wilcox, who has been performing at Manchester City in his current role since June 2017, to become director of football.

He details that the club will offer him the opportunity to oversee the first-team, infrastructure, academy, recruitment and sports performance and analysis.

Manchester City’s academy are serial winners at both Premier League 2 and Under-18 Premier League level, with a reputation for developing the country’s best youngsters.

Saints have already pursued a model of poaching from City, starting with the likes of Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia – who have become starters in the Saints team.

Shields was then taken by Sport Republic from an academy recruitment role at City to head up the senior recruitment.

However, Shields opted to leave just two months into his role after a big offer from Chelsea, while former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl claimed he had not had a big impact at Staplewood.

Samuel Edozie and Juan Larios also signed from Manchester City’s academy on deadline day, and Romano’s latest report follows the trend of giving first senior steps across the board.

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