What is going on with Southampton owner Dragan Solak amid takeover bid news? | OneFootball

Dragan Solak has been linked with a takeover that could impact Southampton

Dragan Solak’s Sport Republic purchased Southampton in January 2022 in a deal worth £100 million.

It was reported that the consortium acquired 80 per cent of the Hampshire outfit, with the Saints still competing in the Premier League at the time.

The Serbian businessman has overseen one promotion and two relegations from the Premier League since becoming involved with the Saints.

But Southampton is not his only venture into football, with the 61-year-old also involved in Turkey, France and Mali to go with the Championship side.

Here we take a look at what the latest developments are surrounding the Saints’ owners amid talk of a takeover bid involving Sport Republic…

Dragan Solak eyeing Bulgarian club Levski Sofia

Solak is reportedly keen on adding yet another club to Sport Republic’s portfolio of football clubs.

It has been claimed that the Serbian is in talks to purchase Levski Sofia, who finished second in the Bulgarian top flight last season.

Sofia have won the league title 26 times, and are arguably the biggest team in the entire country, historically.

The European outfit were in contention for qualification to the Conference League this season following their second-place finish.

However, a play-off defeat to AZ Alkmaar consigned Sofia to a year without continental competition, which has led to them taking an early lead in the First Professional Football League.

It remains to be seen whether Solak will complete a deal to purchase the Bulgarian club at this stage, as he eyes a fifth member of the Sport Republic ownership group.

Along with Southampton, the Serbian also has Valenciennes, Goztepe SK and Mali Coura under the umbrella of Sport Republic.

The Saints are currently the top of the tree under Solak, and take his main priority, and this is unlikely to change if Sofia are added to his portfolio.

Dragan Solak’s popularity at Southampton

It has been a rocky four years for Solak since taking a controlling stake in the Championship side.

The Hampshire outfit were a mainstay in the Premier League when Sport Republic initially purchased their 80 per cent stake.

However, St. Mary’s has been the host of Championship football in two of the four full seasons of their ownership so far.

Supporters have also been dismayed by the team’s poor start to the current campaign, which led to Will Still being sacked after just 13 league games in charge.

Failure to gain promotion this year will lead to a lot of frustration, which could lead to some blow back on Solak.

If the 61-year-old is perceived as being too occupied by his other clubs, then that will not go down well with the fans either, particularly with a new team potentially set to be added to the stable in 2026.

The January window could prove an important part of the year for Southampton, as improvements to reinforce the squad could make the difference between finishing outside the play-offs and earning a place back in the top flight.