Former Chelsea and Brighton Graham Potter is interested in becoming Southampton's next permanent boss, according to a new update.
What happened to Potter at Chelsea?
The 47-year-old made a name for himself with the Seagulls, making them an established Premier League team who played good football at the same time. His expertise in the job earned him a move to Chelsea after the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel, but things didn't go to plan at Stamford Bridge.
Potter struggled to get both positive performances and results out of his players, and it eventually cost him his job, with the Blues moving him on last month with them languishing in mid-table. Since then, the Englishman has continued to be linked with new managers posts, including Leicester.
Southampton manager Ruben Selles is in caretaker charge until the end of the season, although he is expected to move on once the summer arrives. Saints are currently battling for their lives in the Premier League relegation battle, propping up the rest of the table after Saturday's 4-1 defeat at home to Manchester City.
With the club potentially longer at future managers to come in permanently, Potter appears to be in the mix.
Could Potter take charge of Southampton?
According to Football Insider, the former Chelsea boss "has set his sights on becoming the next manager of Southampton", assuming they remain in the Premier League, which is certainly questionable at the moment. He is described as a "firm target" for Saints, although Leicester's interest is again mentioned, following Brendan Rodgers' sacking.
Potter feels that Southampton "would be a better fit for him", however, seemingly putting them in pole position to acquire his signature, assuming a return to the Championship is avoided.
While things clearly didn't go to plan for Potter at Chelsea, he remains a talented young manager who could be an inspired choice for Saints. The Blues job is notoriously a poisoned chalice and he should be judged more for his performance with Brighton, where he guided them to ninth place in the league last season.
His tactical acumen and playing style could appeal to Southampton, in terms of entertainment value, and St Mary's could ultimately be the ideal place for him to rebuild his managerial career. Whether or not the move is even able to come to fruition is dependent on these next six weeks or so, though, with results simply having to improve in order to avoid the drop.
