BUSINESSMAN Joseph DaGrosa has told Saints majority owner Gao Jisheng to lower his asking price, if a deal is to be struck between the pair, according to a report in The Athletic.

DaGrosa has been linked with a move to purchase Gao's 80 per cent of the club.

DaGrosa is formerly the owner of Ligue 1 club Bordeaux and was linked with a bid for Newcastle United in 2019.

It has been widely reported the American last year entered into a period of exclusive talks with Gao over a potential sale, but that time has now expired.

Speaking to The Athletic, DaGrosa said: "Southampton are a good club but there are many other good clubs in the league.

“COVID-19 has created a very fluid situation with regards to the financial performance of all clubs. We have to take that into consideration as we contemplate transactions – we pride ourselves on being very disciplined investors.

“Southampton’s management team has done an excellent job, during a very challenging period, in getting a successful refinancing done last summer. Having said that, particularly in this environment, sellers need to have a reasonable expectation of value and it has to be consistent with our view.

“We are open to opportunities that make financial sense. As we evaluate clubs, we are of course looking at not only the price that needs to be paid but capital that needs to be invested subsequently for the deal to make sense.”

The report goes on to say DaGrosa could switch his focus instead to fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, Newcastle or West Ham.

Discussing his desire to invest in the Premier League, DaGrosa said: "The Premier League is the largest and safest league in Europe. It’s the largest because of its broadcast income and that makes it the safest, too.

“We looked into other markets but decided the EPL was the best market for us. It’s easier to be a medium-sized fish in a big pond than a big fish in a medium-sized pond."

When asked by the Daily Echo about DaGrosa's initial reported interest, Saints declined to comment.