Henrik Larsson will not be the next manager Southend, after the deal to take him to the club collapsed.
The Celtic legend had been in talks with the League One side for a number of weeks, with a deal between the two parties seeming inevitable.
The Swede was set to bring former Celtic teammates Johan Mjallby and Tommy Johnson with him to the club, but a breakdown in negotiations between Johnson and Southend has resulted in the negotations being called off.
According to the BBC, Johnson was set to act as the head of recruitment, as well as an assistant to Larsson, but has now accepted an offer from elsewhere.
Southend confirmed the news in a statement:
It was critical to the club that we had an individual, as part of that threesome, who was not only well known to Henrik and Johan but completely familiar with the English leagues. Including all the players from not just League One but the Championship and League Two also.
As a consequence of Tommy Johnson withdrawing, all discussions with Henrik Larsson and Johan Mjallby have, unfortunately, come to an end too.
The club had identified other individuals in the run up to agreeing terms with Henrik and his proposed colleagues.
Those parties remain on our radar and we will resurrect those discussions with every intention of appointing a permanent manager as soon as practically possible.
Sol Campbell has also been linked with the club.
Larsson has been out of work since leaving Helsingborg in August, and has yet to manage outside his native country. It looks like we will have to wait another while before we see him in English football.
