New Leicester City, Danny Rohl development may may frustrate some at Southampton FC | OneFootball

Southampton could face a battle to appoint Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, as he is attracting attention from Leicester City as well.

Southampton have endured an embarrassing season, which saw them become the earliest side in Premier League history to be relegated.

Arguably the only positive to such a desperate campaign is that it has allowed Saints to plan ahead.

Realistically, the club have known for months that they will be playing in the second tier, so decisions will have been made in the background as to how they will approach next season.

The most important centres on the manager, with Ivan Juric’s sacking opening the door for a fresh start under a new boss.

Southampton face battle to land Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl

Whilst there are many exciting options out there, one man appears to be an ideal fit for Southampton - Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl.

The German has a history with the club, as he was assistant to Ralph Hassenhutl during a more successful period for the south coast outfit.

As well as that, it had been claimed that Southampton were pursuing Rohl before they appointed Juric, but agreeing compensation with the Owls was an issue, so they turned to Juric.

Yet, failure to land Rohl then could come back to bite Saints, as it has now been said that he is a target of Leicester City.

Like Southampton, the Foxes are returning to the Championship, and they will have the same aim of winning promotion, so they will also be an attractive option to Rohl if he wants to move on.

Southampton must do all they can to convince Danny Rohl to join

From Southampton’s perspective, this is not the news they wanted.

As mentioned, they have had plenty of time to deal with relegation, and it’s about acting swiftly to minimise the chaos ahead of the summer.

Whoever is in charge will have to quickly decide which players they want as part of the squad, and it will need freshening up with new signings.

Then, it’s about finalising pre-season plans, getting tactical ideas across to the group, all to ensure they are ready to hit the ground running when the season begins in August. A fast start will be imperative for Southampton as they look to get the fans back onside, and the new manager will be key to getting the belief back around the club.

It’s easy to see why they would be convinced by Rohl, as he has done a terrific job at Hillsborough, which included saving them from relegation against all odds last season.

Furthermore, he has done it on a limited budget, and he has built a team that is good to watch despite those limited resources.

Therefore, if he is the main target for Southampton, they must do all they can to muscle Leicester out the way to ensure Rohl ends up at St. Mary’s Stadium.

That will take financial support, a clear footballing project, and backing when it comes to signing players.

Ultimately, Southampton must put this terrible season behind them as quickly as possible, and making the right managerial appointment is the crucial first step.

Leicester and Saints are likely to be in the mix for promotion in 12 months' time, but Southampton need to strike an early blow to their rivals by winning the race for Rohl to show that they mean business.