Southampton is expected to replace Ivan Juric as manager. Danny Rohl has been identified as their primary target.
The Saints are heading towards one of their worst seasons in Premier League history. They have only managed to win one game since Juric took over from Russell Martin in December.
Juric was appointed on an 18-month contract at the end of last year but is unlikely to remain manager for the next season in the Championship.
The south coast team currently has nine points and needs only two more from their remaining 11 games to equal Derby’s record low of 11 points.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Rohl, who previously worked at St. Mary’s with former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, was considered as a target after Martin’s dismissal.
However, negotiations were hindered by compensation demands and existing tensions between the two clubs.
While Rohl’s compensation could be as high as £4 million for a Premier League club, Southampton would pay less as a Championship team.
Rohl also has a working history with Southampton’s new technical director, Johannes Spors, from their time together at RB Leipzig.
Juric’s arrival was not expected to save Saints from relegation as the club was already nine points from safety.
However, neither the players nor the fans have embraced the former Roma manager’s methods, and Southampton has suffered several heavy defeats during his leadership.
These defeats include a 5-0 loss to Brentford and consecutive 4-0 losses to Brighton and Chelsea in their most recent two games.
The Saints are currently eight points behind Leicester and Ipswich, having conceded 65 goals in their 27 Premier League matches.
They are also a significant 13 points away from fourth-bottom Wolves.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa is reportedly interested in signing Tyler Dibling, one of Southampton’s standout players, in the summer.
Midfielder Tyler Dibling, 19, was previously linked with several major clubs in January, including Tottenham, Newcastle, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, all expressing interest in the England Under-21 international.
