Manuel Pellegrini could be set for a return to the Premier League just months after being ousted from Manchester City.
The Telegraph report that the Chilean is on Southampton’s radar as they look to replace Ronald Koeman, who has been appointed Everton manager.
Interestingly, three managers who have repeatedly been linked with the Saints job – Frank de Boer, Andre Villas-Boas, and Eddie Howe – are apparently not on the shortlist, but Pellegrini is.
Pellegrini has previously spoken of his wish to remain in England, though he was not given much of a choice by City, with the Sky Blues revealing partway through the season that he was being replaced by Pep Guardiola this summer.
That led to a collapse in form, but prior to that, his good work at the club has clearly not gone unnoticed by Southampton.
Indeed, he is a Premier League winner and was hugely popular among City fans, so the South Coast club would be doing extremely well to lure the former Real Madrid boss to St Mary’s.
In a further twist, that could mean that Pellegrini gets a chance to face Guardiola next season, a chance he was denied in the most recent campaign.
If City and Bayern Munich had both got to the Champions League final, Pellegrini could have exacted some revenge on his incoming replacement, but both sides fell at the semi-final hurdle.
Should he take the Southampton job, he will finally have that opportunity.
The first job of whoever takes over from Koeman, however, is to keep the squad in tact.
Southampton have some fine players in their ranks, but it looks as if several of them are set to follow Koeman out of the door.
With a big name like Pellegrini on the cards, though, they may want to think twice – so Southampton might want to think about making their move before the exodus begins.
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