Daily Echo:

SAINTS owner Katharina Liebherr is having "second thoughts" about selling the club, according to proposed Chinese investor Gao Jisheng.

Gao's company Lander Sports Development has been in protracted talks over a £210m deal for Southampton Football Club during the past year.

The Premier League gave Lander and Gao the go ahead to complete negotiations in June, after the league completed their procedures to ensure the company's suitability as owners.

Now, Gao has stated that a potential takeover has stalled.

"It is not clear at the moment. The seller is having second thoughts about selling the club," Gao reportedly told Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Beijing. He declined to comment further on the deal.

Liebherr remains committed to leading the club forward, but has indicated she is prepared to sell at least a significant stake of her ownership if the price is right, and the investors are able to take Saints forward in a way that she cannot.

In a rare statement to fans, issued in January as the Lander talk intensified, she said: "Please understand that I can only make limited comments regarding this process but I can assure you that any steps we do take will be in the best interests of the club. A potential partnership would need to clear multiple approvals and fulfil strict criteria before being confirmed.

"The Premier League is increasingly competitive; we need to keep moving forward and look to new markets for commercial growth, innovation and to share our journey. Together we have had many years of progression and success, and ensuring this continues is the main focus of any possible partnership."