Marco at top of Saints’ list
season. Silva caught the eye of vice-chairman of football Les Reed with his ultimately fruitless efforts to keep Hull in the Premier League last season.
Fulham’s Slavisa Jokanovic and Ostersunds manager Graham Potter are also among those on the club’s radar.
Pellegrino was given the target of Europa League qualification when he was named Puel’s successor.
But it has been a dismal campaign and Saints are now just one place and one point above the bottom three.
Reed had been willing to stick with Pellegrino until the end of the season but the manner of Saints’ shocking capitulation at St James’s Park forced him into a U-turn.
Saints are hoping to have Pellegrino’s replacement in place in time for the FA Cup quarter-final clash at Wigan on Sunday. Last night the club issued a statement reading: “Southampton Football Club can today confirm that it has parted company with first team manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
“Assistant manager Carlos Compagnucci and assistant first team coach Xavier Tamarit have also parted company with the club.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to Mauricio, Carlos and Xavier for their efforts during their time with Southampton and wish them well for the future.
“The club will look to appoint a new management team as soon as possible, with the search for a replacement already under way.” Former Liverpool defender Pellegrino led Southampton to only five wins from 30 league games.
Two of those victories were against basement club West Brom and the others against West Ham, Crystal Palace and Everton.