Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is expected to leave the club today according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook. 

The Lowdown: Tough times for Hasenhuttl

Last night, it was reported that the south coast club have decided to sack the Austrian following the 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The report from The Athletic claimed that the Saints' hierarchy have agreed to sack Hasenhuttl either during the World Cup break or before they play against Liverpool at Anfield next Saturday in their final match ahead of the tournament.

However, it appears that the 55-year-old could be packing his bags even sooner than then.

The Latest: Hasenhuttl on his way out

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning, Crook made a fresh claim regarding Hasenhuttl's status at Southampton.

The talkSPORT reporter said: "Ralph Hasenhuttl to leave #SaintsFC today with replacement already lined up." 

The Verdict: Big change incoming?

Since Hasenhuttl took charge of Southampton in December 2018, the Austrian has overseen 173 matches with the club across all competitions. With 66 players used in total across those games, Southampton have won 60, drawn 38 and lost 75.

In this latest Premier League season, the Saints have lost eight of their 13 matches, leaving them with just 12 points on the board and currently in the relegation zone.

Taking into account this poor start to the campaign, it's easy to see why the hierarchy at Southampton have reportedly decided to dispense with Hasenhuttl promptly.

Now that Crook has claimed that the 55-year-old could be on his way out of St Mary's today, it's interesting to hear that the club seemingly have a potential replacement already lined up. This says to us that the thought of getting rid of Hasenhuttl has been on the agenda for some time.

With two matches left to play before the World Cup break, this could be a very significant week for Southampton if this big change were to happen.