Vitor Pereira has effectively ruled himself out of the running for the Saints job after committing his future to Fenerbache.

The 47-year-old Portuguese manager has been widely quoted in the Turkish press as saying that news of a potential move to Saints is “not true” and that he is instead focussing solely on the Turkish giants.

Pereira had been on the Saints shortlist for the managerial hot seat, with Manuel Pellegrini still the leading candidate, and Claude Puel also under consideration.