The Telegraph has declared that Claude Puel is the man for Southampton Football Club and their man writing the article is better connected to the club than most in the national media.

The Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson used to work for the Daily Echo and has written a book about Saints, so when he says something about Saints you can bet it is well informed and well researched.

So when he says that Claude Puel is leading the pack to take over at St Mary's you sit up and listen.

He concurs with his ex colleagues at the Daily Echo that Saints are not just jumping in for a big name, but are scrutinising each and every candidate as to their suitability, not just as per their CV, but as to being suitable for the Southampton Way.

He says that many have been considered including many of the names touted in the press, but that the club believe that Puel is the man best suited to what they want.

Although the deal is not done, Puel heads a now small shortlist and they believe that he ticks the boxes not only with his track record of a willingness to promote young players, working on a limited financial budget, pressing attacking football and experience of European football, but also with the ideas he has conveyed to the club in the interviews.

All in all Puel has worked in the environs that Saints are now in, ie at clubs that are not the biggest in France, but have built themselves up and competed in Ligue 1 with high finishes and European qualification.

This is where the club sees itself challenging and they want a man who has that experience on his CV

Manuel Pellegrini was seriously considered, but the club really wanted a manager with a bigger presence on the training pitch itself.

Saints fans are now waking up to the fact that the club has a strategy that is different from many clubs, although those same clubs are starting to realise that it works and are looking to emulate it.

That is why the transfer of Nathan Redmond from Norwich is proceeding onwards despite no manager being in place, the strategy is such that although of course the manager is the tip of the iceberg and crucial in the strategy, he is not the one part of it that holds it together, we are at the point now where we can drop managers in and out yet the aims and strategies continue unabated.

Of course getting the right manager in is crucial to how well the strategy works and that means it is key we get the right man, but no one can deny that Saints have not been putting in the due dilligence here, success for any manager is not guaranteed, but no one will be able to say Saints have not done their homework.

Photo: Action Images

SonicBoom added 00:18 - Jun 24 I just don't buy the limited budget thing. Aside from the top six or so we can compete financially with everyone else in the PL and around the majority of Europe. It's not like he has to sell first, or that he won't have tens of millions to spend. If whoever it is fails, lack of budget cannot be held up as the excuse nowdays.
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SanMarco added 01:08 - Jun 24 So this bloke looks more fetching in a tracksuit than MP. A point I would make about the Academy is that RoKo said none of them were good enough. No amount of tracksuit wearing by the new man would be likely to change that. If it is true that MP was interested than I am disappointed - it would have been a statement of intent. I hope that Les hasn't done too much homework in place of plain common sense.

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montecristo added 07:41 - Jun 24 hope the reports that we are selling Mane are not true fed up with our best players being offloaded its insulting to the fans also...
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DPeps added 07:51 - Jun 24 Will Claude be let in after Brexit?
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IWOZTHERE added 09:58 - Jun 24 Speculation or not, I'm concerned at the dwindling number of managers 'still in the frame'. Just whose demands are unrealistic? The other big question is the oft quoted 'able to work on a limited budget.' Just what does that mean? Are we to look forward to another Summer of transfer 'austerity?' Net spend last year was about £1.5m I believe. Excluding Mane's possible move we've 'banked' about £110m for Tv, Wanyama etc. with the guarantee of the big increase in TV money to come. We need 2/3 QUALITY additions. Is the board going to ACTUALLY invest in the team this summer or are we going to sell Mane to fund a couple of purchases = nil investment! Is this why we are still without a manager? I think the BIG question over the board's ambition will be answered this summer not neccessarily by who we sell but by whether we strengthen the team with quality not quantity.

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law101 added 10:17 - Jun 24 My biggest worry is the clubs around us are or will be showing huge intent. Everton, West Ham, Stoke, Liverpool to name a few. We are selling our best players by the looks of it and relying on our scouting network. I just worry how long we can keep turning over players before we get 4/5 Cedric's in one year like Villa. I'm almost playing Devils advocate here but I think it is an issue worth considering.

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DPeps added 12:37 - Jun 24 Sounds like Mane to Liverpool is a done deal. Bit tired of this now!
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bstokesaint added 13:13 - Jun 24 We came out and said we wouldn't listen to offers of less than £40m for Mane, so for starters that would make me disappointed if we accepted less. Again we would look weak. Secondly, he's not in the last year of his contract so why are we even entertaining the idea of a sale? We shouldn't eve be speaking to clubs or agents full stop when we don't have a manager. We're dangerously exposed at the moment and although I don't want to rush a new manager appointment, hoping we get the right man, we can't hang around if we're going to continue to do deals without one.

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IanRC added 14:17 - Jun 24 Agree bstokesaint, see the separate article Nick has put up on Mane. My concern with Puel is, as I understand it, the fact that he has only managed in France. That said otherwise he sounds interesting provided he can attract the correct caliber of player. De Boer is hopefully in the frame too.
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wopper added 13:23 - Jun 25 Bet he comes cheap as well.
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