Southampton are fully focused on the play-offs, with the prize being an instant return to the Premier League.
Manager Russell Martin will focus on devising a strategy to beat semi-final opponents West Brom in two legs.
Southampton will advance to the Wembley final on May 26th if they repeat their league double victory over the same team.
The other semi-final will feature Leeds United and Norwich City, who finished third and sixth, respectively.
Whichever club is successful in securing Premier League status through the play-offs will benefit greatly financially, with the final often regarded as the most lucrative game in football.
Southampton will earn a huge financial reward if they win the play-offs.
Southampton’s play-off hopes are about much more than just top-flight football.
If the club remains in the Championship, they may have to sell star player Kyle Walker-Peters and may not be able to sign loan duo Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a permanent basis.
According to The Athletic, accounting firm Deloitte Sports Business Group attempted to predict the financial gain associated with winning the Championship Playoffs last season.
They predicted that the winner at Wembley would increase revenue by at least £170 million over the next three seasons.
Deloitte estimated that if the club avoided relegation after their first season in the top flight, the figure could rise to more than £290 million, with just one season in the Premier League resulting in at least £90 million in additional revenue.
Is Southampton going to get promoted or not?
While failure to advance through the play-offs would be deeply disappointing and likely result in several departures, Southampton’s financial future is not thought to be entirely dependent on an immediate return to England’s top tier.
That is because Sport Republic, the club’s owners, oversaw the sales of several players following their relegation last summer.
According to Salary Sport, Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento, and James Ward-Prowse all received significant fees, resulting in a club revenue of approximately £157 million and a spending budget of around £19 million.
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