Southampton have replaced Ronald Koeman with 54-year-old Claude Puel after the Frenchman signed a three-year deal and will begin working with the players on July 1st.
Thought through decision
Director of Football Les Reed addressed the media after the announcement and said the process of appointing a new manager had been a 'meticulous' one. He also went on to say their new manager had to 'meet the needs' of the football club.
Reed claims Puel came out on top of an 'impressive shortlist' and this is no secret. Manuel Pellegrini, Frank de Boer and Jurgen Klinsmann were all heavily linked with the job in recent weeks.
Eric Black has also been announced as the club's new assistant manager.
Puel's history
Puel enjoyed a long playing career at Monaco, where he played between 1979 and 1996. He made 488 appearances for the club as a player and went on to manage the side in 1999. He won the league title in 2000.
Since leaving in 2001, Puel has went on to manage three different teams, all of which were French. He spent six years at Lille before moving to Lyon. He guided the club to their first ever Champions League semi final back in 2010, which is a huge achievement.
Nice were the next club in France for Puel to take over. He spent four years there and managed to take the club to 4th place in the league last season.
Priorities
Over the past few years, Southampton managers have had to deal with the selling of star players. Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama's exits last week proves that Puel may be powerless to keep some of the bigger names at the club this year.
Thankfully, the recruitment setup at St. Mary's is of a high standard. Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin are just a few of the players who have been replaced by the scouts at the club. Puel must ensure that the same standard of players are purchased during his reign.
To add to this, Southampton's academy facilities are renowned for being some of the best in country. Making sure the club continue to produce young, exciting talents should also be high on his list.