Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl expects a bumper transfer budget this summer.
The Saints have announced an extension of their agreement with the Coingaming Group as main club partner for a further three years, which will see the Sportsbet.io brand continue on the front of the team shirts.
"I know that there were always some discussions about taking a betting company as a main sponsor on the shirt," the Saints boss said.
“But I think in this way to make such a deal in such a moment of the pandemic and in a situation where a lot of teams are struggling getting new sponsorships because all around there are issues with the economy, I think we can definitely be happy about that.
“And that means we have a little bit more safety in planning for the summer, because it will be a hot transfer summer for sure because I expect some big moves also in the summer, but a lot of teams are struggling with their finances.
“If you have that little advantage then you can make maybe a very early good deal, that helps you massively next season.
“For us, it is a very important long-term deal with a clear message, which is absolutely necessary.
“Every month we lose a lot of money because of the pandemic, because of having no supporters in the ground, it is very helpful if you have partners you can trust and this was a big step for us.
“It gives us a chance to invest in players that we need for the next season, because we have a few positions where we have big problems and big issues, so this gives us more alternatives for looking around."
