What next for Claude Puel?
That was the question on the lips of a lot of people when the now former Southampton manager was removed from his role back in June 2017.
Over the summer, the free agent was linked with a return to Ligue 1, with Saint-Étienne an option, yet a move back to his home country was never really an option, it seems.
Still without a new club after leaving Southampton, things could change rather quickly if Jeunes Footeux are to be believed, as they claim Anderlecht, whose most recent manager, René Weiler, resigned on Monday, have approached Puel.
This isn’t the first time Jupiler Pro League side have tried to get the Frenchman on board, attempting to do so after he left Nice, just before he accepted the offer from St Mary’s
The answer at the time was a big fat no, but things have changed since, especially since Puel clearly didn’t get the job offer he wanted over the summer.
It’s easy to see why Anderlecht, a club who pride themselves on bringing young players through like Youri Tielemans and Leander Dendoncker, would want a manager like the former Southampton man.
While things didn’t work out quite the way he wanted with the Saints, he did still manage to take them to a Carling Cup final, albeit one they lost, perhaps undeservedly.
Bouncing back in another country to rebuild a slightly dented reputation could be exactly what Puel needs.
We’ll have to wait and see.
