SAINTS FACE TURMOIL
SOUTHAMPTON face another summer of upheaval after a day of turmoil at St Mary’s ended with Claude Puel facing the sack.
Saints have decided to axe boss Puel after just a year in charge and he is negotiating a payoff on a contract which had two years to run.
That ended a disruptive day which began ® with Saints accusing Liverpool of tapping up £60m-rated defender Virgil van Dijk.
They believe Liverpool have made an illegal approach for their 25-year-old captain and have made a formal complaint to the Premier League.
If found guilty, the Merseysiders, who have already signed FIVE Saints players in recent years, could face a hefty fine.
Vice-chairman of football Les Reed headed an emergency meeting yesterday, where Saints decided to make their allegations
formal before sealing Puel’s fate. A St Mary’s source said: “Nobody has made contact with the club about Virgil and we would not welcome any such approach.
“The reports he has agreed to join Liverpool are very alarming and believe they constitute an illegal approach.
“We have made contact with the Premier League and await their findings.”
The future of Ryan Bertrand was also on the agenda, with the England full-back in Manchester City’s sights.
Pep Guardiola is closing in on a £35m swoop for Bertrand after switching his attention from Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy.
Forking
Bertrand is keen to force a move to the Etihad and was one of several senior players unhappy with Puel’s training methods.
Club bosses have now decided enough is enough and are targeting former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel and ex-Bayer Leverkusen manager Roger Schmidt as potential replacements.
Reed was hoping Puel would save the club from forking out an expensive severance package by returning to his homeland with St Etienne.
But after holding talks with the Ligue 1 side, Puel decided he was not interested in the job.
Saints have endured miserable summers for the past three years, losing several of their stars as well as bosses Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman quit.