Southampton are fully focused on the play-offs, with the prize being an instant return to the Premier League.
Manager Russell Martin‘s attention will be on devising a plan to overcome semi-final opponents West Brom over two legs.
If Southampton are successful once again over a team they have done the league double over this season, then they will be involved in the Wembley final on Sunday 26th May.
The other semi-final will be played between third and sixth-placed sides Leeds United and Norwich City.
Whichever club are successful in securing Premier League status through the play-offs stand to make a huge financial windfall, with the final often dubbed the most lucrative game in football.
Southampton will earn huge financial reward if play-off victors
There is far more than just top flight football at stake for Southampton in the play-offs.
If they are unsuccessful and remain in the Championship the club are incredibly likely to have to sell star man Kyle Walker-Peters, whilst their hopes of signing loan duo Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis permanently will be scuppered.
As reported by The Athletic, accounting firm Deloitte Sports Business Group attempted to predict the financial gain associated with winning the Championship play-offs last season.
They predicted that the winner at Wembley would earn an increase in revenue of a minimum of £170 million across the three seasons that followed.
Deloitte believed that the figure could subsequently rise to over £290 million if the club then managed to avoid relegation after their first season in the top flight and estimated that just one season in the Premier League would result in additional revenue of at least £90 million.
Is it promotion or bust for Southampton?
Whilst failure to go up via the play-offs would be deeply disappointing and would likely mean a number of departures, Southampton’s financial future is not thought to be completely reliant on an instant return to England’s top tier.
That is because owners Sport Republic oversaw the sales of a number of players following relegation last summer.
The likes of Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento and James Ward-Prowse all went for sizeable fees, as the club generated around £157 million whilst spending just shy of £19 million according to Salary Sport.
This was much needed as Southampton prepared for life in the Championship and the sensible approach has ensured the Saints can cope financially without promotion.
