Saints are prepared to take another week to make an appointment if it means they get the right man to replace Ronald Koeman at St Mary’s.

The club have set themselves a target of having a new boss in place by July 4, when the squad return for pre-season training.

Though a few players check in for fitness testing on June 28-29, it is only those who have not been involved in any competitive action this summer.

Saints are understood to think that if it takes another week to make an appointment then they will wait that long if it means getting the right person.

The club are continuing to speak with candidates, a process that could potentially span another couple of days.

When they do make up their minds there will still be contract details to be ironed out, meaning an announcement may not be quickly forthcoming and could see a formal appointment next week rather than before this weekend.

Manuel Pellegrini and Claude Puel remain the frontrunners for the job, but Saints feel this is an appointment of vital importance and are determined to explore every appealing possibility to find the right man.

Any appointment would be fast tracked if the person was out of work, but the most important thing for the Saints board who are conducting the interviews and will make the decision is that they are agreed and unified in their ultimate choice.

That is why they will continue to give themselves whatever amount of breathing space they deem necessary in order to get to a conclusion they are happy with.

With the players who have been away for the summer, including in the Euros, not returning until mid-July, and transfer issues still not pressing, it unlikely to be a pressing problem if an appointment did take another week to formally announce.

Another man who has been on the Saints shortlist, Fenerbache manager Vitor Pereira, has effectively ruled himself out of the running.

He has been quoted in the Turkish press as saying reports that he will take over at Saints are “not true” and that he is solely focussed on managing Fenerbache.

In the meantime, Saints are set to rubber stamp Victor Wanyama's £11m move to Tottenham, while work continues to try and secure Norwich winger Nathan Redmond.