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Southampton reportedly planning to replace Puel with Thomas Tuchel

By Chris Hughes

BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 27: Head coach Thomas Tuchel of Borussia Dortmund looks on prior to the DFB Cup Final match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at Olympiastadion on May 27, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 27: Head coach Thomas Tuchel of Borussia Dortmund looks on prior to the DFB Cup Final match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at Olympiastadion on May 27, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
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With Claude Puel’s job on hanging on by a thread, the Saints are now weighing up Thomas Tuchel as a replacement for the 55-year-old Frenchman.

Despite finishing eighth and reaching the final of the EFL Cup, all is not content at Southampton for Claude Puel, and he will seemingly be sacked if media reports are to believed.

The latest manager linked with replacing him is former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel, who Saints fans almost jokingly linked with their club when he left BVB the other day.

However rumours have since gathered pace with several English and French tabloids suggesting that Les Reed and co. will pursue the German as their next boss.

Tuchel has managed Dortmund since Jurgen Klopp left to join Premier League rivals Liverpool, winning his first trophy just the other week as his side defeated Frankfurt to win the DFB Pokal.

Over his 108 games in charge he boasts 68 victories, giving him a win ratio of nearly 63 percent. Despite this he reportedly fell out with the Dortmund board and those above him, and reports contradict each other as to whether he left or was sacked.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – MAY 28: Trainer Thomas Tuchel of Borussia Dortmund lifts the DFB Cup trophy as the team celebrates during a winner’s parade at Borsigplatz on May 28, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Pool – Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY – MAY 28: Trainer Thomas Tuchel of Borussia Dortmund lifts the DFB Cup trophy as the team celebrates during a winner’s parade at Borsigplatz on May 28, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Pool – Getty Images) /

With his job very much of the line and not much support from his employers, Claude Puel had been linked with a move to Saint-Etienne earlier this week, as he bids to restore the strong reputation he had whilst managing in his native country.

What’s more Tuchel is a manager who would almost certainly be favoured by the club’s supporters, with the 43-year-old playing attractive football whilst also bringing a host of young talent into the starting picture.

Most notably this season Ousmane Dembele has become a first-team regular, whilst the likes of Julian Weigl and Christian Pulisic have also made contributions. What’s more, his signings of Andre Schurrle and Sebastian Rode show a strong domestic bias, another thing Southampton supporters are a fan of.

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However the prospect of bringing in the German, who has been linked with giants like PSG and Arsenal over the course of the last month alone, remains an ambitious one.

What’s more at 43 Tuchel would very likely use Southampton as a stepping stone before moving back to a Champions League level of club in the next years, presuming he does join the Hampshire-based outfit.

However the ambition remains a good thing, with Southampton’s last main managerial link being Leeds’ former boss, Gary Monk.

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