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Manager Southampton wanted before Ivan Juric now set to move elsewhere as club pay £2.5m fee Saints baulked at
Southampton announced Ivan Juric as a replacement for Russell Martin on Saturday – but they wanted Carlos Corberan first.
The Croatian has signed an 18-month contract at the St Mary’s Stadium as he prepares to take on the gargantuan task of keeping Southampton in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 17 |  LeicesterLeicester | 17 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 37 | -16 | 14 |
| 18 |  WolvesWolves | 17 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 27 | 40 | -13 | 12 |
| 19 |  IpswichIpswich | 17 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 32 | -16 | 12 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 17 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 36 | -25 | 6 |
Despite an impressive CV from the man born in Split, which includes a very strong stint at Torino, he was not Southampton’s first choice, and that particular manager – Carlos Corberan – has now moved elsewhere after Valencia did what the Saints were unwilling to do.
Valencia hire Carlos Corberan – who was willing to join Southampton
TBR Football‘s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has now shared details on how close the 41-year-old came to joining Southampton before Juric was appointed instead.
Sources state that initial talks between Southampton and Corberan went well as the Saints searched for Martin’s replacement, and the Spaniard himself was ready to fill the vacancy.
However, TBR Football understand Southampton – who also considered Danny Rohl – baulked at the £2.5m compensation fee needed to hire the man born in Cheste, and never returned to the negotiating table to resume talks with West Brom.
Corberan has now agreed to take charge of Valencia after the Spanish giants sacked Ruben Baraja, following a run of two wins in 17 La Liga outings this term to leave them 19th.
Juric – who Jamie Carragher criticised – was in the stands to watch Sunday’s stalemate at Fulham, but is expected to be on the touchline against West Ham on Boxing Day.
How much Premier League survival for Southampton would compare to that £2.5m fee
£2.5m is not a huge amount of money for a Premier League club in the modern era.
Last season, Nottingham Forest received £12.5m for finishing 17th – while Premier League clubs also receive £31m each from broadcasters.
Therefore, Corberan would have paid his £2.5m fee back and more had he managed to keep Southampton in the Premier League – although Juric now has that task on his hands instead.