Nicola Cortese on brink as Southampton chairman Cortese wants renewed backing from the Liebherr family for his strategy going forward and, despite indications that they want him to continue, he has become frustrated at the lack of clarity on the future. The club have made huge progress under the leadership of Cortese, rising from administration in League One to the Premier League in just three years, but his ruthless style has also been controversial. Cortese, though, believes that his plan will push Southampton towards regular European football under new manager Mauricio Pochettino and wants reassurances on a range of issues, including the club's budget in the next transfer window. There is now significant uncertainty over whether the Liebherr family want Cortese to remain as chairman beyond this summer. According to club sources, the Liebherr family have failed to grasp the urgency of this situation. There is also the theory that the Liebherrs are open to offers for Southampton now that their Premier League status is effectively secure for at least another year. Having paid just £14 million to buy Southampton in 2009, they could expect to sell at a huge profit. Against that, the Liebherr Trust has shown considerable commitment by converting £33 million in loans to shares since Liebherr's death. They have also sanctioned a £10 million investment in the club's training facilities. With a fortune of around £3 billion, the Liebherr family are among the richest football club owners in England.