Southampton owner Katharina Liebherr has held lengthy talks with manager Mauricio Pochettino since former chairman Nico Cortese's departure last week.
The Mail on Sunday says despite contrary reports, the pair had a private face-to-face meeting lasting 45 minutes that day, emerging "in a positive mood".
Liebherr inherited the club in 2010 from her father Markus, who Southampton fans see as a saviour, but is not expected to keep the club long term. There is no imminent plan to sell, sources say, and Liebherr's priority is stability in the wake of Cortese's departure. The search for an experienced chief executive is under way.
"The best way to protect the value of her asset is to make sure the manager and players are happy to commit their futures to it," said a source.
