Former Leipzig boss favourite for Saints job

Former RB Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl emerged as odds-on favourite to fill Mark Hughes’ shoes at Southampton after the Premier League strugglers sacked their manager on Monday.

Several media in Austria and Germany later reported that Hasenhuettl had agreed in principle to a deal with the southcoast club and would be presented in the coming days.

Austria’s Kleine Zeitung said a contract had been signed.

However, a source close to the deal said no agreement for a new manager had been sealed yet, but that the club was working out the details and hopeful that the new manager would be named before the end of the week.

British bookmakers William Hill priced the former Austria striker Hasenhuettl at a short 811 price to replace Hughes, having tumbled from a 33-1 shot only an hour earlier.

He left Leipzig in May after securing Europa League football but the Saints may also be about to plunder the Bundesliga Club for their head of recruitment, with Paul Mitchell on their list to replace the club’s former vicechairman Les Reed.

Mitchell would be a popular choice among the fans after developing players including Luke Shaw, James Ward-Prowse, Calum Chambers and Nathaniel Clyne during a 2012-2014 spell as Director of Recruitment and Scouting at Southampton.

Saints made no comment on their progress in the hunt for Hughes’ replacement when contacted by Reuters, other than to say the search for a new manager was already underway.

Hughes’ departure was met with relief by many Southampton supporters who have grown frustrated at the 55-year-old’s inability to get the most from a talented squad.

Hughes helped Saints narrowly avoid the drop last season by finishing 17th in the table, but this term they sit 18th in the standings having lost seven out of their 14 matches.

First-team assistant coach Kelvin Davis will lead the team for today’s match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Southampton’s new manager will be Saints’ fourth boss in two years. Since Ronald Koeman left to join Everton in 2016, they have also fired Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino.