GARY O’Neil is reportedly being lined up for a job in the Championship, with Luton Town keen on Cherries’ interim boss.
TEAMtalk suggest that the Hatters will look to replace seemingly outgoing manager Nathan Jones with O’Neil, whilst also claiming that Cherries will not hire the former Portsmouth midfielder on a permanent basis.
Instead, they will hire a ‘foreign’ name, with a lot of noise surrounding Bodø/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen, although the report does not name any target of Cherries.
Jones has been granted permission to speak with Cherries’ Premier League neighbours Southampton, with the Athletic reporting that a deal has been verbally agreed between the two clubs.
If Jones does swap Kenilworth Road for St Mary’s, Luton will be tasked with replacing the Welshman for a second time, after he previously left the Hatters with a role managing Stoke.
Former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate has also been linked with the seemingly upcoming vacancy at Luton. Woodgate returned to football last month as part of Michael Carrick’s backroom staff at Middlesbrough, a club the former England defender managed and played for.
Football League World also claim that O’Neil interests Luton, whilst also putting forward Woodgate’s name for the job.
Any appointment at St Mary’s that comes before Cherries naming their permanent replacement for Scott Parker would mean five Premier League clubs have changed their managers in the time since the Dorset club sacked their previous boss.
Wolves and Aston Villa dismissed Bruno Lage and Steven Gerrard respectively before hiring Julen Lopetegui and Unai Emery, whilst Chelsea replaced Thomas Tuchel with Brighton’s Graham Potter.
In turn, the Seagulls hired Roberto De Zerbi, a reported target of Cherries, to replace Potter.
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