BREAKING: Southampton officially appoint Mauricio Pellegrino
By Chris Hughes
Southampton have quickly filled the void left by the outgoing Claude Puel by making Mauricio Pellegrino their new manager.
The Saints have beaten off competition from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace in the chase for unemployed manager Mauricio Pellegrino, with reports suggesting he has signed a three-year deal on the south coast.
The Argentine worked under Rafa Benitez at Liverpool before branching out on his own, with his most recent employer being Alaves in the La Liga.
He guided the side to their first ever Copa Del Rey final this year, and as a result had been linked with a move to the Premier League for the last couple of months.
Southampton terminated the contract of Claude Puel earlier this month after a poor first season in England, and as a result Pellegrino, Thomas Tuchel and Frank de Boer had all been heavily linked with the vacancy.
The 45-year-old boasts managerial experience in his home nation as well, managing Estudiantes and Independiente – losing his job at both.
In fact he was also sacked as manager as Valenica, his first ever full-time position. This shouldn’t be any indication of his ability nor potential, with former Saints boss and namesake Mauricio Pochettino having a relatively thin CV prior to his appointment back in 2013.
Southampton will now hope to move into the summer months and recruit ahead of their next campaign, having regressed in the season gone by for the first time since returning to the Premier League.