Former RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been appointed Southampton manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Southampton sacked Mark Hughes on Monday, eight months after he took charge of the club, with Saints 18th in the Premier League table.

Austrian Hasenhuttl, 51, has been out of work since leaving Leipzig in May, ending a two-year spell at the club.

“As soon as we met, Ralph’s enthusiasm for football was contagious,” said Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger.

“His hunger to take on a new and challenging job in the Premier League was evident. In our discussions, he quickly aligned himself with the values and the vision of the club.”

Hasenhuttl led Leipzig to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga in his first season in charge, after taking over following their promotion from the second tier.

The former Ingolstadt manager guided Leipzig to sixth in the German top-flight last season but left after failing to agree to a contract extension.

He will officially take over on Thursday with first-team assistant coach Kelvin Davis taking charge for Wednesday’s game against Tottenham at Wembley.

“This manager change offers us a fresh start and, very quickly, Ralph emerged as our ideal candidate,” Krueger added.

“As a coach, he embodies the passion, structure, communication skill set, work ethic and appetite for growth that we strive for in our Southampton way.

“The quick, smooth and seamless negotiation process underlines the character of the person that he is.”