Southampton CEO breaks silence on Dragan Solak selling the club

Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons has rejected suggestions that owner Dragan Solak is preparing to sell the club, insisting the Serbian businessman remains strongly committed to the Saints.

Solak, who became Southampton chairman in January 2025, previously indicated that he would consider bringing outside investment into the club. He remains the leading figure in the ownership group that bought Southampton in 2022 and currently holds around a 90 per cent stake.

There had been speculation that Solak could consider an exit after Southampton suffered relegation for a second time in 2025, forcing him to publicly address claims that he was looking to sell.

However, Parsons believes Solak’s commitment to the club remains strong, even after Southampton missed out on a potential financial boost of more than £200 million following the fallout from the Spygate affair.

Asked by BBC Sport whether Solak was looking to sell Southampton, Parsons replied: “No, I don’t believe so.”

He added that Solak remains closely involved with the club and is focused on its long-term future.

“Dragan talks to everybody very regularly. He loves the club. He wants to take it forward, in the right way,” Parsons said.

The Southampton chief executive also acknowledged that returning to the Premier League is the club’s primary objective, although achieving that goal comes with significant financial demands.

Parsons was also questioned about Solak’s decision to retain key figures at Southampton, including manager Tonda Eckert, Johannes Spors and Parsons himself, despite the controversy surrounding Spygate.

According to Parsons, Solak chose to support those involved rather than make widespread changes, while recognising that mistakes had been made.

“Dragan has picked this up directly, but he supports people at the club, and he also accepts that people do make mistakes,” Parsons explained.

Parsons said the owner wants Southampton to concentrate on moving forward rather than reacting by dismissing a large number of staff.

The CEO acknowledged that Spygate had a major impact on the club but argued that mistakes do not automatically mean those responsible should lose their positions.

Ultimately, Parsons said the decision was Solak’s to make as owner, and he chose to stand behind the people currently running the club.