Recently, Talksport analyst Jim White revealed Southampton's stance on manager Russell Martin's future at the club. While the Southampton board are backing their Premier League promotion winning manager, the Saints may consider other alternatives to Martin if on-field results don't improve in the upcoming matches. Hence, there are speculations regarding the contract situation of several top managers, who are among the favourites to replace Russell Martin at the St. Mary's Stadium.
One of them is West Brom manager Carlos Corberan, who is tipped to take the managerial role at Southampton in-case of Russell Martin’s departure. Corberan joined the Baggies as their new manager, when they were at the second-last position in the Championship two years ago, and managed to avoid relegation and led West Brom to a ninth place finish in the 2022/23 season. Last season, Corberan made West Brom as one of the best defensive teams in the Championship, with the Baggies conceding the third fewest goals in the league.
High-flying £2 million release-clause manager opens up on Southampton links
Moreover, Corberan guided West Brom to take a surprise 2-0 win over Ipswich Town as well, who had the best front three in the Championship. Compared to Southampton manager Russell Martin, Corberan has displayed his tactical flexibility by implementing various formations and achieving good results with each of them. Thus, the West Brom manager is currently attracting interest from various Premier League clubs such as Wolves and Crystal Palace, with the Saints also being one of Corberan's huge admirers.
Moreover, Corberan has a £2 million release-clause in his West Brom contract and Southampton are considering signing Corberan as the new manager. Recently, Corberan spoke about his West Brom future amid his exit rumours, saying,
"I can only tell you that making a career in this club will be one thing that would make me happy, to extend my career in this club. It would make me very, very happy."Carlos Corberan
Corberan highlighted his desire to remain at West Brom in the upcoming years, as the Baggies aim to return to the Premier League next season after four years. Meanwhile, Corberan's thoughts about staying at West Brom can lead Southampton to consider giving more time to manager Russell Martin to consistently bring good results in the Premier League. Now, it remains to be seen whether manager Russell Martin starts taking some important wins at Southampton in the upcoming matches.