Redknapp in talks with Saints

Harry Redknapp has confirmed he has been in talks with Southampton about the vacant manager's job at the Premiership club.

Redknapp appears to have emerged as the south coast club's number one target to succeed Glenn Hoddle.

Saints chairman Rupert Lowe, who is currently on a fishing holiday in Scotland, said that the new boss would not be named until next week at the earliest.

But Redknapp has given a clear indication that he is in the frame for the hotseat at the new 32,500-capacity St Mary's Stadium. He said he had a friendly, informal chat with Lowe.

"It was interesting to talk to Southampton. That's as far as it has gone," he said.

"He (Lowe) has got to make a decision and I have got to make a decision.

"We sat down and drank a glass of wine and talked football."

Lowe, who initially said he would take all summer if necessary to find the right successor to Glenn Hoddle, reckons they are at least 10 days away from an appointment.

"What we are doing is entirely consistent with the way we said we would go about things," said Lowe.

"We are taking our time to look at all the avenues and alternatives. We have met people, we are meeting more people and we are working our way through the various possibilities open to us.

"We still have one eye on an internal appointment and Stuart Gray is entirely happy with what we are doing. He is very much in our plans."

Gray, who enjoyed victories over Manchester United and Arsenal as caretaker boss in the last two matches at The Dell, will be kept in some role whatever occurs, though, as will the rest of the coaching staff.

That could be a potential sticking point for Redknapp given his working relationship with brother-in-law Frank Lampard, his assistant at West Ham.