Mark Hughes emerges as frontrunner for vacant Southampton post

Former Stoke manager Mark Hughes has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Mauricio Pellegrino at Southampton, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Southampton announced their decision to sack Pellegrino on Monday night less than a season into the Argentine's tenure and now the search for his replacement has started.

The Saints are one point above the bottom three and are prioritising Premier League experience with their next appointment as they look to beat the drop this season.

Hughes has been out of work since being sacked by Stoke at the start of the year but the 54-year-old has built a reputation for stabilising clubs around the midtable positions.

The Welsh manager spent two years as a Southampton player towards the end of his career but his appointment would likely polarise opinion among supporters at Saint Mary’s.

Southampton have only won one of their last 17 Premier League matches and have not won back-to-back league games all season. Hughes, meanwhile, has only won four of his last 22 matches as a manager.