Saints Hold Talks With Former Leicester Boss Paulo Sousa as Club Line Up Mark Hughes Replacement

Southampton have already held talks with Portuguese manager Paulo Sousa over the possibility of him replacing Mark Hughes on the south coast.

The Saints are languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table, only above Fulham and Cardiff City on goal difference, but they still occupy the final relegation place.

Current manager Hughes has come under heavy criticism this season despite his ability to keep Southampton outside of the drop zone last year.

And the Times claim that former Leicester City and QPR manager Sousa, who was in attendance as Southampton lost 3-2 to Fulham on Saturday, is favourite to replace Hughes if he is sacked by the club.

Sousa is known to the club's hierarchy following his most recent spell in management with Chinese outfit Tianjin Quanjian, where he coached the likes of Alexandre Pato and Axel Witsel.

Surprisingly, the Times' report adds that Hughes' future could already be on a knife-edge, and that defeat this weekend against Manchester United could see him replaced early next week.

Although Southampton are in a dire situation right now, it seems almost pointless to give a manager their final chance against the most successful team in Premier League history, and it appears to make more sense to make the change before the game.

Regardless of Southampton's reasoning, however, it is without question that Hughes has to get one over on his former side this weekend.

Although it looks certain that Hughes' time at Southampton is coming to an end, it's not all doom and gloom for the 55-year-old Welshman.

Clubs in the top flight are always on the lookout for managerial escape artists, and just like with his last three appointments, Hughes could be drafted back into the league during the second half of the season.