What Southampton owner Dragan Solak's net worth is as big Tonda Eckert decision made at St Mary's | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert has been named the new permanent manager at St Mary's

Tonda Eckert has been named as Southampton's new manager, and his time as permanent boss began positively, with a 3-1 win over Birmingham City.

The 32-year-old won four of his five games as interim manager and was rewarded with the full-time gig, penning a deal which runs until the end of next season.

It's safe to say that permanent managers under Sport Republic, since Dragan Solak's company took over in January 2022, haven't enjoyed much success.

Barring Russell Martin, only Will Still has been able to pick up more than one league win — and even then, the Belgian boss only won twice in the St Mary's dugout during the 13 Championship games he oversaw at the beginning of this season.

Eckert is now halfway to matching that tally, and Solak and co will be hoping that he can provide a similar campaign results-wise as Martin did two seasons ago and get Southampton back into the Premier League, where the club believes it belongs.

If he could, then the current Saints owner has the financial resources available to him to help the club remain in the top flight.

Southampton owner Dragan Solak's estimated net worth amid big Tonda Eckert call

Serbian businessman Dragan Solak has been Southampton's majority shareholder since January 2022, when the company he is the lead investor of, Sport Republic, bought 80% of the club's shares.

But Solak's wealth comes from his time in cable television, which he started in 2000. United Group started as a small cable operator, but over time became one of the biggest media companies in Serbia.

Whilst his shares in the company aren't as large as they once were, his time as chairman of the company saw his net worth increase at a rapid pace, and as of March 2025, Solak is said to be worth £1.24 billion, which is higher than the likes of Evangelos Marinakis at Nottingham Forest and Matthew Benham at Brentford.

Sport Republic is a sports investment firm and holds majority shares in other football clubs such as Goztepe SK in Turkey and Valenciennes in France, alongside other sports-based streaming and technology sites.

So there are plenty of other avenues where the firm and Solak generate money, but getting Southampton back into the Premier League and then staying there will be key to not only keeping the fans happy, but keeping his investment in the club a worthwhile one.

Dragan Solak will be hoping that Tonda Eckert can deliver Premier League football once more

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There's no doubt that the Southampton owner has put a good investment into the club to help them get back into the Premier League.

The likes of Tom Fellows for £10 million and Finn Azaz for £12 million, established Championship talent, alongside the likes of Leo Scienza and Caspar Jander, exciting prospects from abroad, have helped form a squad more than capable of securing promotion.

However, while Solak and Sport Republic can be credited for funding the club well enough, their managerial decisions have been questionable at best. They'll be hoping that Tonda Eckert can change that.

It could be seen as a risky decision, given that the 32-year-old is rather inexperienced at the helm of a senior side, and a contract to 2027 infers that the higher-ups want to cover their backs and avoid a hefty payout if it doesn't work out, but five wins in six under Eckert indicates that the Saints are on their way back up.