Southampton are reportedly set to appoint a former Serie A boss as their new manager.
The Saints are on the hunt for a new manager after Russell Martin was sacked last Sunday with the club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.
The South Coast club have so far claimed just one win from 16 matches on their return to the top flight and are nine points adrift of safety.
According to The Athletic, Southampton have reached an agreement to appoint former Roma boss Ivan Juric as their new manager.
The outlet claims that the 49-year-old is expected to fly out to the UK today (Friday) with a view to being on the touchline for Sunday’s clash with Fulham.
The Croatian has agreed a deal until 2026 with a two-year option to extend.
Juric was sacked from his role with Roma side last month after just three months in charge, having taken over from Daniel De Rossi in September.
He left the side four points above the Serie A relegation zone and 20th in the Europa League table.
It is said that Southampton view him as a strong character who makes teams difficult to beat though physical intensity and solid defensive structure.
Juric previously spent three years with Torino and was a strong contender to become Southampton’s manager two years ago.
He was in the final to to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl but the Saints instead opted for Nathan Jones.
Talks were held with Sheffield Wednesday head coach Danny Rohl but Southampton were unwilling to pay a large compensation to secure his services.
The Championship side were unwilling to let Dohl leave on the cheap following their bright start to the season, with the club four spots and nine points behind the promotion spots.
