Southampton face extinction in eight days' time.

The Guardian says Southampton will go out of business in eight days unless they find a buyer, ­according to a source at St Mary's. The Championship club, whose holding ­company went into administration last month, were relegated to League One on Saturday, the first time since 1960 they will have been in the third tier. The ­players are understood to have been paid last week thanks only to £130,000 raised by fans under a Save Our Saints appeal.

Southampton will play their final game of the season at Nottingham Forest on Sunday but the source says they will be forced to fold two days later unless one of the consortiums which have expressed interest in the club completes a deal. Two buyers are said to be keen.