Manchester United has officially announced the appointment of Jason Wilcox as the club’s new technical director as part of their ongoing internal restructuring. This restructuring comes in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 28% stake in the club, with the INEOS chief now overseeing football operations.
After identifying Southampton’s director of football, Wilcox, as an ideal candidate for the technical director role, negotiations with Southampton over compensation were successful, leading to Wilcox’s move to United.
A statement from Manchester United read: “Jason Wilcox has joined Manchester United as Technical Director with immediate effect. He will work with all technical areas of the football department to achieve the highest standards of performance.”
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Southampton expressed their disappointment with Wilcox’s departure, stating: “Southampton Football Club can today confirm that it has reluctantly agreed to allow Director of Football Jason Wilcox to join Manchester United, having reached an agreement with the Premier League side on an acceptable compensation fee. While the club is naturally disappointed that Jason’s stay at Southampton has only lasted nine months, it wishes him well for the future.”
As part of the restructuring, United recently announced the departure of long-serving football director John Murtough. Although United is still interested in appointing Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth as their first-ever sporting director, negotiations are complicated by the reluctance to pay a significant release fee. However, talks with Southampton over Wilcox proceeded more smoothly due to the club’s lower compensation demands.
Wilcox, who previously held various academy roles at Manchester City from 2013 to 2023, will soon be joined at United by former City colleague Omar Berrada, who will assume the role of CEO from the upcoming summer. The eventual arrival of Ashworth is anticipated by United leadership as a matter of inevitability rather than uncertainty.