Former Roma boss Rudi Garcia has emerged as a shock favourite with bookmakers to replace Ronald Koeman at Saints after his odds dramatically tumbled this evening.

A sudden weight of money came in for somebody who was not even been discussed recently, which has forced the bookies to slash Garcia’s odds of landing the job.

He is now as short as 6-5 with some bookmakers, who obviously fear being stung with a previously rank outsider suddenly being heavily backed.

The 52-year-old Frenchman is currently out of work after being sacked by Roma at the start of the year after a mixed start to the season.

Who else has been tipped for the Saints job - see here

Garcia made his name as a player with Lille and went on to play for Caen, Martigues and L’Asce, with whom he would start his managerial career.

He then moved to Saint-Etienne before spells at Dijon, and Lille before making the switch to Roma in 2013.

Garcia won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double with Lille in 2011 and, though Roma lost patience this season, he was a success there, guiding them to runners-up spot in Serie A in 2014 and 2015.