Claude Puel’s Southampton host Arsenal this evening (7.45pm kick-off) knowing victory could take them up to eighth place in the Premier League.
The Saints are once again on course to secure a top-half finish in England’s top-flight, their fourth in succession, and with a run to the League Cup final earlier in the campaign, it’s been a decent season overall for the South Coast outfit.
However, that hasn’t stopped speculation building about the future of manager Puel, and there is fresh doubt as well as reports in French newspaper L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) suggest that the 55-year-old is a target for the Saint-Etienne job.
The French outfit are seventh in Ligue 1 and of course embarked on a Europa League run to the round of 32, although ran into Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, and manager Christophe Galtier, who has been in charge since 2009, is standing down at the end of the current campaign.
And Saints boss Puel appears to be a contender for the post, having had managerial spells at Monaco, Lille, Lyon, and Nice before taking over from Ronald Koeman at St Mary’s last summer.
Although the 55-year-old is widely perceived to have done well this term, some Southampton fans have voiced their displeasure at the Frenchman’s negative tactics at times this season, with the Saints’ lowly tally of 39 goals scored perhaps indicative of that.
Thus, whether or not he stays as Saints boss next season remains to be seen, but any concerns or uncertainty could give Saint-Etienne to chance to land the 55-year-old this summer.