Jesse Marsch agrees to succeed Nathan Jones as Southampton manager

Jesse Marsch is primed to succeed Nathan Jones after agreeing to take charge of Southampton after another round of positive talks on Monday. The American is poised for a return to management little more than a week on from his sacking by fellow strugglers Leeds.

Southampton believe Marsch can galvanise the squad and expect him to implement a style similar to that of their former manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, who built a playbook for all of the club’s teams follow.

Southampton, who are bottom of the Premier League, sounded out Marsch last week and are understood to admire his high-pressing style. Marsch has worked across the Red Bull group at New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig, where Hasenhüttl, whom Jones replaced, spent two years in charge.

Jones was sacked after 14 games, with a run of seven defeats in eight Premier League matches leading to his exit three months into a three-and-a-half-year contract. The Welshman lasted 94 days, the shortest managerial tenure in Southampton’s history.

Katie McCabe left out of Irish squad for United States friendlies

Fifa Club World Cup: Everything you need to know – participants, fixtures, where to watch

England booed off again after Senegal humbling but Tuchel insists ‘no need to panic’

Rubén Sellés, who took interim charge for the second time this season after Jones’s departure on Sunday, was expected to lead Southampton at Chelsea on Saturday but Marsch could be appointed in time to take charge. Southampton visit Leeds the following Saturday. – Guardian