The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon has claimed that Southampton’s ‘biggest’ concern right now is the ownership of their club.
Currently, chairman Gao Jisheng owns 80% of the south coast team, having paid around £210m for his share in 2010. However, while speaking on the Total Saints podcast, the Southampton correspondent outlined why this percentage of the club may soon have to be sold.
Sheldon explained that Gao is under financial pressure, possibly due to the pandemic, and that this ‘huge’ issue is of great concern for the Saints right now as a change in ownership may be the only way for the club to escape its ‘malaise’.
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He said: “For me, the biggest thing at Southampton is the ownership issue. It’s, you know, the takeover, the whole process; I think there’s no kind of bigger thing going on at the club.
“That’s just my opinion. I know supporters will look to the games, but for me, the ownership picture is huge. It’s huge for the future of Southampton, and if they’re going to try and get out of this malaise, they’re going to have to change owners.
“And it came to my attention that, through various kind of myriad conversations that the need for Gao to sell is almost certainly more pertinent than perhaps it was a year ago.
“The pandemic’s, obviously, hit hard. And yeah, you could say he’s probably feeling the bite a little bit. And as I say: ultimately, I have to, I guess, be careful – but yeah, he needs to sell. He needs to sell his 80% stake in Southampton to ease the financial pressures he may be under.”
TIF Thoughts on Southampton and their ownership situation…
As things stand, the Saints currently sit 16th in the league on 16 points. They are six points above the relegation zone, and so the rest of the season will likely be focused on maintaining that distance.
If that is the case, it will feel like a familiar story for Southampton fans, who have not seen their side finish inside the top half of the Premier League table since Claude Puel led them to an eighth-place finish in the 2016/17 season.
This may well be the ‘malaise’ Sheldon refers to. However, if Gao really is under considerable pressure to sell, a new owner could come in and rejuvenate the club, just as we are currently seeing be attempted at Newcastle United.
On and off the pitch, this situation certainly could have huge repercussions for the club in the coming years.
If a change in ownership goes well, the Saints may be able to push on and establish themselves further up in the Premier League’s hierarchy. Of course, if it doesn’t, financial mismanagement could see them suffer a similar fate to what we are witnessing with Derby County right now.
In other news: ‘Be absolutely amazed if there’s any change’ – Journalist claims Saints man ‘will be leaving’