Takeover update emerges involving Southampton owner Dragan Solak | OneFootball

Sport Republic are eyeing another addition to their multi-club model

Southampton owners Sport Republic are looking to expand their multi-club model with a bid to buy Levski Sofia.

According to the Daily Echo, the Saints’ owners are in talks with the Bulgarian side over a possible takeover.

Dragan Solak is the lead investor in Sport Republic, who purchased the Championship side in January 2022 when they were still competing in the Premier League.

The Serbian billionaire bought an initial 80 per cent stake in the club in a deal worth £100 million, making the Hampshire outfit the first to join his ownership group.

Turkish side Goztepe SK, French side Valenciennes and Mali side Mali Coura are also all a part of the Sport Republic portfolio, which could be about to get a newest member.

Sport Republic eye deal to expand Southampton multi-club model connection

It is believed that Sport Republic are in talks to take over Levski Sofia, which would incorporate them into the same multi-club model as Southampton.

Solak reportedly submitted his first offer to the European side earlier this month, and talks have ensued in the days since.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee will be involved, or if any agreement can be reached at all, but this will be a development Saints fans will be keeping an eye on.

Levski Sofia are one of the biggest clubs in Bulgaria, and they even finished second in their top flight last season, earning them qualification for European competition.

But defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the final qualifying round meant they were eliminated before the league phase got underway.

It is unclear where Levski Sofia will sit in the pecking order of Sport Republic’s multi-club model, with Southampton currently seen as the top of their operation.

Tonda Eckert’s side are currently 16th in the Championship table, with the Hampshire outfit four points adrift of the play-off places.

Sport Republic are still committed to investing in football

Sport Republic have been criticised by supporters in their almost four years in charge of the club, but this move would show they are still committed to investing in football.

This multi-club model is an extremely popular form of ownership in football at the moment, but it has yet to really prove beneficial to the majority of those attempting it.

Southampton have yet to utilise their connection to Valenciennes, Goztepe or Mali Coura particularly well, so it’s hard to imagine Levski Sofia joining the mix being a positive development for their promotion hopes or anything.

It will also be interesting to see how supporters of the Bulgarian side respond to this, as they are a historic team in their own right and likely won’t want to play second fiddle to a side in the Championship.