An update has emerged in Southend United's hunt for a new manager today with representatives from the Essex side travelling to meet a potential candidate.

Following Kevin Bond's sacking after a slow start, Celtic legend Henrik Larsson is reportedly the Shrimpers top-target and will hold a meeting with chairman Ron Martin later today, according to Sky Sports News.

Last week it emerged that the club's remained some distance from an agreement, with the Swede reportedly harbouring concerns over the size of the wage budget at Roots Hall.

But it now appears that Martin is eager to strike a deal, with more than a month elapsing since Bond was relieved of his duties.

Larsson was most recently manager of Swedish side Helsingborg, but was relieved of his duties in the summer after just eight matches, although he had previously managed at the club between 2014 and 2017 too.

In his playing days, the 48-year-old became a Celtic legend after scoring 33 goals in 56 appearances before making the move to Barcelona, eventually retiring with Helsingborg.

The verdict

This seems like an enormous risk for Southend.

It is a great PR move. Larsson is somebody who will arrive back in Britain with plenty of fan-fare but I am not convinced it is a move they should be making when sat in such a precarious position.

Southend need experience now more than ever and whilst Larsson could prove to be a masterstroke, it is not a risk that they should take if they are hoping to avoid the drop.