Southampton talks for appointment ‘have broken down’ – Held ‘first talks’ but ‘never heard from him again’

Southampton talks with PAOK Thessaloniki director of football ‘have broken down’ as they search for a replacement for chief scout Joe Shields.

That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb, who say the Saints remain on the hunt for a man to fill the position following Shields’ move to Chelsea.

Shields joined the Blues at the end of October as part of the restructuring of their backroom staff following the takeover from Todd Boehly.

It was his second move this year alone, having been poached from Manchester City by Southampton in July.

The Saints have been on the hunt for a replacement since and TMW say they had ‘been looking’ at Boto as an option to take up a role at the club.

They explain that Southampton held ‘first talks’ with the Portuguese director, asking him to make a presentation for the role he was planning to take up.

However, the Saints ultimately decided to go with ‘other choices’ and did not contact the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager again to let him know of their decision.

Ultimately, they never ‘never heard from him again’ and the post that Southampton were looking to fill remains vacant for the time being.