Southampton tried to sign another manager before Nathan Jones – ‘In the end, he said no’

Before signing Nathan Jones as their new manager, Southampton had made an attempt in Italy, according to local reports.

La Stampa (via Toro News) today writes that the Saints had tried to sign Ivan Juric from Torino. It’s said that happened at the start of November.

The story claims Juric was actually open to the possibility, as he ‘listened, took note, reflected’ about Southampton’s offer, but ‘in the end, he said no’.

It was only a few days later that the Saints announced the arrival of Nathan Jones, who was only in charge of the squad in the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, and has now had the entire World Cup break to try to sort things out at the club.

Torino are actually very happy with Juric, with La Stampa claiming that club president Urbano Cairo expects him to stay at the club for a long time, beyond his contract, which expires in 2024.

With Jones in charge, Southampton now have a tough task ahead, as they stand in 19th on the Premier League table.

The Saints are back in action on the 21th of December, as they face Lincoln City in the League Cup, and then play Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on boxing day.