Southampton appoint Claude Puel as their new manager on three-year deal

Southampton have appointed former Nice boss Claude Puel as their new manager on a three-year deal.

The 54-year-old replaces Ronald Koeman, who joined Premier League rivals Everton earlier this month, and will be tasked with leading a Saints side that finished sixth in the English top flight last season, securing qualification to the group stages of the Europa League for the first time.

Puel, who led Nice to an impressive fourth-placed finish in Ligue 1 last term, has experience of managing in European competitions during previous jobs with Lyon, Lille and Monaco – including leading the former to the Champions League semi-finals in 2010.

The south coast outfit, who have already lost two of their star players, Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane, to Tottenham and Liverpool respectively for a combined fee of £45million this summer, have also brought in Eric Black, who worked under Remi Garde at Aston Villa last season, as Puel’s assistant.