Saints not under pressure to sell - Solak

Southampton owner Dragan Solak says the club are under no pressure to sell players in this summer's transfer window.

Next season they will spend a second consecutive campaign in the Championship, and stop receiving parachute payments from the Premier League beyond 2027 should they fail to win promotion.

Saints were last in the Championship for back-to-back campaigns between 2007 and 2009.

Despite being in a more precarious financial position going into 2026-27, Solak outlined his hopes to come out of the window with a competitive side, on par with the one of last season.

"Our main goal for this transfer window is not to make money, it's to make at least the same quality if not better team for the next season," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"I think the Daniel Peretz signing is a statement to that fact and I hope that the next couple of days we'll have more that we are showing that we mean serious business.

"If we would let some players go, it would have to be a really good offer for the club and also for the player.

"On the other hand, I think we have a very capable scouting team, and we are monitoring a huge number of players."

Solak, whose company Sport Republic bought Southampton in early 2022, has already voiced his backing of head coach Tonda Eckert and said he would not be sacked following the club's expulsion from the play-offs for spying on other clubs.

A decision over Eckert's future could be taken out of Solak's hands should the FA's ongoing investigation conclude with a verdict that could ban the German coach.

Prior to being thrown out of the play-offs, Saints were flying high as one of the form teams in the second tier.

They went on a run of than 21 games unbeaten in the Championship and made their way to an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Players including Leo Scienza, Shea Charles and Taylor Harwood-Bellis played a key role and could now gather the attention of Premier League sides this summer.

While Solak said the club do not need to sell their best players, if an offer makes sense to them, they would not stand in their way.

"We don't have any pressure (to sell) that's for sure," Solak added.

"We want to have the best possible team and do what is good for certain players, in order to keep the flow of talent coming, sometimes it's needed to show the next step.

"If a player wants to play for Manchester United, if a young player thinks I'm not ready for them but I should go to Southampton because they will give me a chance and develop me, I will end up where I dream.

"So at the moment we have our place in the food chain which I'm not necessarily against, and we'll see whether we can change this reality in years to come, but this is where we are now."