Claude Puel Appointed Southampton Manager: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Southampton confirmed the appointment of Claude Puel as their new manager on Thursday, succeeding Ronald Koeman after his departure to Everton.

The Premier League outfit welcomed the 54-year-old to the club on their Twitter feed:

The Saints job will be Puel's first managerial role outside of France. He won Ligue 1 while in charge of AS Monaco in 2000 before spending time at Lille OSC, Olympique Lyonnais and, most recently, OGC Nice.

Saints confirmed that he has signed a three-year deal with the club, with Eric Black and Pascal Plancque set to be part of his backroom staff:

A statement from the club indicated Puel "takes charge ahead of the first team's return to training on July 1."

The south coast outfit have had an effective record of bringing in top-class managers in recent years, with Mauricio Pochettino's appointment back in 2013 paving the way for Southampton to break into the Premier League's top 10.

Koeman guided the club to a sixth-place finish in 2015-16, just three points back from a Champions League place.

Meanwhile, Puel led Nice to fourth place in Ligue 1 last term while also playing some of the best football in the division, per Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:

He also oversaw the renaissance of Premier League flop Hatem Ben Arfa, who netted 17 league goals and provided six assists in 34 appearances in the French top flight, per WhoScored.com.

Already there have been reports that Puel has approached his fellow Frenchman in a bid to persuade Ben Arfa to join him at Southampton, per L'Equipe (via Get French Football News).

Losing Koeman to Everton earlier this month was a big blow for Southampton given the progress the side were making under the Dutchman.

However, Puel looks to be a decent replacement and will likely carry on Saints' well-earned recent reputation for being an entertaining and attractive footballing side.