The Dragan Solak demand that needs meeting to force Southampton to sell Leo Scienza | OneFootball

Southampton owner Dragan Solak reportedly values star winger Leo Scienza at around £35 million

Southampton head into the 2026/27 EFL Championship campaign in somewhat awkward fashion following the fallout of the ‘spygate’ scandal, and as head coach Tonda Eckert awaits his fate for the role in the saga, Saints owner Dragan Solak has remained ambitious.

Indeed, Southampton could well have been playing Premier League football next season if an intern analyst from the club wasn’t caught spying on Middlesbrough from behind a tree.

A 19-game unbeaten run shot the Saints into the play-off places by the end of the campaign, though despite a 2-1 win over Boro in the semi-finals, Southampton were found guilty of spying and were thrown out of the competition as punishment.

Heading into next season, German head coach Tonda Eckert awaits to see whether he will serve any sort of ban for his role in the saga, but in the meantime, has begun to shake things up in the Southampton attack.

Numerous incomings and outgoings are expected, as Saints owner Dragan Solak has reportedly slapped a lucrative valuation on one of their stars, with their intentions of keeping their star players at St Mary’s made clear.

Southampton owner Dragan Solak values Leo Scienza at around £35 million

Action images

Scottish striker Ross Stewart has officially left the club following the expiry of his contract, after Southampton were unable to reach an agreement on new terms for the 29-year-old, in a seismic turn of events on the South Coast.

Canadian forward Cyle Larin has seen his loan move from Mallorca in January turn permanent this summer after eight goals in 16 Championship games, as both Ben Brereton Diaz and Damion Downs return to the club following the completion of their loans elsewhere to varying degrees of success.

Lewis Dobbin appears to be on the cusp of joining the Saints in a deal worth £9 million plus add-ons from Aston Villa, highlighting Eckert’s desire to reshape the attack on the South Coast.

However, arguably the biggest piece of business Saints could do this summer is to keep hold of Brazilian winger Leo Scienza, who, according to BBC Radio Solent’s Adam Blackmore, has been valued by Southampton owner Dragan Solak at around £35 million.

Blackmore said: “As far as the owner is concerned, Leo Scienza isn’t going anywhere unless they get stupid money for him. I think I was quoted a figure of £35m by Dragan Solak, the sort of thing he would struggle to refuse.”

Solak, who acquired the club back in January 2022 and also owns Turkish side Goztepe and French side Valenciennes, has overseen two relegations and one promotion since assuming control on the South Coast, with criticism pointed towards him and his Sport Republic investment firm by Saints supporters for their role in the club's demise.

However, the reported £9 million acquisition of Scienza from FC Heidenheim last summer has proven to be a masterstroke, as although the 27-year-old took time to get up to speed, his seven goals and ten assists in 37 Championship games last season have drawn interest from across England and the rest of Europe.

Leeds United were reportedly keen back in late May, though that interest has somewhat diminished ever since, and it may have something to do with Solak’s £35 valuation of the Brazilian.

No formal offers are reported to have been made for Scienza as yet, as that valuation looks to have done its job by putting teams off making a move for their star winger.

Under contract until the summer of 2029, Southampton are firmly in the driving seat when it comes to negotiating a fee for Scienza, and unsurprisingly, Solak has few intentions of letting the Brazilian depart for anything other than a lucrative price over the next month or so.

Dragan Solak’s Leo Scienza valuation will put off potential suitors as Tonda Eckert receives huge transfer boost

Action Images

Given Southampton’s situation, they are well within their right to command a lucrative fee for Scienza.

Losing their star player on the cheap would be a nightmare scenario for any club, including Southampton, and Solak has taken measures to ensure that won’t be the case with the Brazilian.

Certainly, Eckert will want to keep the 27-year-old in Hampshire just as much, if not even more than Solak, with his importance to the Saints side immeasurable.

With a long time left between now and the end of the window, of course, things can change, but as for now, Solak’s £35 million valuation has fended potential suitors away from making a deal, as Scienza looks increasingly likely to remain a Southampton player by the beginning of the next campaign.