Southampton must be ‘careful’ over finances – MaguireImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-off finalByAllan ValenteBBC Sport EnglandPublished38 minutes agoSouthampton must be “very careful” over their debts and fiscal position after the Spygate scandal which cost them a chance of returning to the Premier League, says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs after admitting observing opponents’ training sessions and have been deducted four points for the 2026-27 league season.
An independent disciplinary commission found spying on rival clubs, including semi-final play-off opponents Middlesbrough, was authorised by head coach Tonda Eckert and Maguire says missing out on promotion will have both immediate and long-term effects on the club’s finances.
“They will have to be very careful as far as the club’s existing debts are concerned,” Maguire told BBC Radio Solent.
“They owe over £100m to creditors. A lot of that is due to the parent company, which isn’t too much to worry about, but what’s of greater concern is that at the end of 2025 they owed £99m in unpaid transfer fees, so that will have absorbed a lot of the cash that the club was running on this year.”
