Newcastle's Premier League rivals Fulham sack Slavisa Jokanovic and replace him with Claudio Ranieri

Fulham owner Shahid Khan has announced the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as manager, replacing Slavisa Jokanovic.

Jokanovic leaves with the Cottagers bottom of the Premier League table with five points from 12 matches, having lost their last seven games in all competitions.

Back-to-back wins for Newcastle United has seen Rafa Benitez's side climb to 14th but they are only four points ahead of bottom-of-the-table Fulham, who will be looking for a new manager bounce.

Italian Ranieri, 67, who memorably led Leicester to the title in 2016, has been given a "multi-year" contract by the London club, the Fulham have announced.

"It is an honour to accept (chairman) Mr (Shahid) Khan's invitation and opportunity to lead Fulham, a fantastic club with tradition and history," Ranieri told the club's official website.

"The objective at Fulham should never be to merely survive in the Premier League. We must at all times be a difficult opponent and should expect to succeed.

"This Fulham squad has exceptional talent that is contrary to its position in the table. I know this team is very capable of better performances, which we will work on straight away as we prepare for Southampton at the Cottage."