Southampton: 42 y/o manager ‘may have been interested’ in replacing Hasenhuttl

Southampton ‘might have been of interest’ to Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper amid uncertainty surrounding Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Cooper may have just signed a surprise new three-year deal with Forest, but that is only likely to end the speculation surrounding his future for a little while with reports he is a target for the St Mary’s outfit given Hasenhuttl’s vulnerable situation.

A recent report from The Telegraph claimed that Hasenhuttl is hanging by a threat at Southampton after a run of three straight defeats has left them lingering just a point above the relegation zone.

It’s stated that a change in the dugout has been on the cards for some time now despite the Austrian tactician pulling off several eye-catching results while working on a limited budget.

Southampton’s new owners Sport Republic are said to want a coach more adept at developing the promising young stars at the club.

And the Daily Mail have disclosed that Cooper was on the south coast club’s shortlist in large part due to his ‘successful history of nurturing young talent’, especially during his time as England’s Under-17s manager.

The 42-year-old led the likes of Phil Foden, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marc Guehi to Word Cup glory back in 2017 and has since impressed during spells with Swansea City and Forest.

Jones told GiveMeSport: “At Southampton, you’ve already got the foundations. You need two or three changes in there and perhaps a bit of a re-jig with the formation.

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“You look at what he was able to do with Forest last season in terms of lifting them from the bottom of the Championship to getting promoted.