Nigel Adkins was sacked at Southampton frustrated by their transfer policy.

The Sunday Mirror says Adkins feared he was ­becoming marginalised over signings by executive chairman Nicola Cortese long before he was fired.

He was shocked in the summer when Cortese splashed a club record £12million on Gaston ­Ramirez, despite the fact he was chasing other targets.

And Adkins was ­disappointed when the club failed to sign his top central defensive target Bram Nuytick, instead ringing in Maya Yoshida.

Southampton made an ambitious enquiry to take Theo Walcott back to the club in July, which Adkins knew nothing about until it had been knocked back.

Cortese is believed to have disagreed with the decision of Adkins not to sign a top-class goalkeeper in the summer, particularly as he was forced to make an emergency move for ­Artur Boruc outside the transfer window.

A Southampton source said: "There were ­tensions over transfers. It seemed Cortese and a few other people at the club were pulling in one direction and Nigel Adkins was pulling in another ­direction."