The search for Southampton’s new manager – the final managing vacancy in the Premier League – appears to be coming to a close, with a fixture of French football making his first foray into England.
According to The Guardian, former Nice manager Claude Puel is expected to be named the permanent manager of Southampton. Per the source, the deal will be completed by the end of this week.
In four seasons with Nice, Puel’s coaching record was 68W-34D-66L – a 39.29% win rate. He led Nice to a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1 this past year.
His greatest success came during his two-year stint with Monaco, during which he led the club to the Ligue 1 title and won the Trophee des champions. He then managed Lille for six seasons and Lyon for another three before taking the Nice job in 2012.
The position at Southampton opened up earlier this month when Ronald Koeman stepped down and took the vacant Everton job. The Saints finished sixth in the Premier League this past year and boasted the fifth-best goal differential in the league.
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