Southampton: Saints have Ivan Juric on shortlist

Southampton are also eyeing Torino manager Ivan Juric as they close in on the appointment of Jesse Marsch, according to a report.
The Lowdown: Juric an old target?
It has recently been reported that the Saints were actually keen on appointing Juric before they decided to give the job to Nathan Jones, but they were turned down as he wished to stay with his current side.
With Jones being sacked on Sunday, after just 14 games in charge of Southampton, it has emerged that the Croatian tactician is still on the radar of Sport Republic, and a move could be revisited.
The Latest: Interest reignited
According to a report from The Daily Mail, the Saints are open to appointing an overseas boss, which could see them reignite their interest in their previous managerial target.
The report states that the club are now willing to pay a bigger fee to ensure they get one of their top targets, with Juric being deemed too expensive in the past.
However, they appear to be closing in on a move for Marsch, with The Athletic claiming the American is ‘set to become Saints manager’, so we will have to wait and see if there is a twist in the saga to turn to Juric as the alternative.
The Verdict: Marsch the better option?
Hailed as doing a ‘fantastic job’ at Hellas Verona, Juric is also impressing at the helm of Torino this season, with the club currently sat in seventh place in the Serie A, and a push for Europe is still on the cards.
It is debatable whether he is the right appointment for Southampton at this moment in time however, given that he has never managed in the Premier League before, and there are managers with that experience who have been linked with the vacant role.
One of which is Marsch, and given that the American was able to preserve Leeds United’s Premier League status last season, he knows what it takes to keep a team up in the top flight.
