Southampton are set to seal a deal to bring in Shea Charles from Man City this summer, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Who is Shea Charles?
The 19-year-old is somewhat of an unknown quantity currently at club level, with the defensive midfielder having struggled to get many league games under his belt. In fact, he has only ever appeared in the Premier League for current club Man City once – and that was in the last campaign and lasted for just 28 minutes.
Instead, the wonderkid has had to make do with action for their reserve sides but has impressed for them with 49 appearances and two goal contributions from his deep lying role.
Despite never featuring in the top flight, it hasn't stopped him from breaking onto the international stage already for his country Northern Ireland. Having initially broken into their Under-16 team, he then worked his way up to the Under-19 and Under-21 outfits. His performances for those sides eventually led to a first ever cap for their first-team just last year. Having shone on the big stage, he has gone on to bag a further five caps.
Are Southampton signing Shea Charles?
Now, according to a report from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Championship side Southampton have clearly liked what they have seen from the youngster and want to tie up a deal for the player.
The Saints are now closing in on a £9m deal for the 19-year-old – a large fee for a teenager, especially to an EFL side – and he will have a medical this weekend ahead of a switch to the Championship outfit.
City clearly see a lot of potential in the midfielder though, as they have also included a clause that allows them to bring him back to the Etihad should they opt to, and a sell-on clause too. Romano said: "Excl: Southampton are closing in on deal to sign Man City 2003 born midfielder Shea Charles. Manchester City will receive £9m fee — it will also include buy back clause and sell on clause for MCFC. Charles will travel this weekend for medical if all goes to plan."
Charles also adds some versatility to the Southampton side. Whilst he predominantly plays in the centre of the field as a number six, he can also play across the backline. The wonderkid has featured in both centre-back positions but has also been shifted out onto the right-flank in the past. It means that, should the Saints ever be short in their defensive ranks, they can rely on Charles to slot in if needed over the course of the campaign.
Despite his age, Charles has already been praised for his impressive performances at international level. Football journalist Josh Bunting stated that the youngster has been "impressive" for Northern Ireland, and it shows his ability already despite his limited club involvement.
It means that Southampton are getting a player who is not only gaining a little bit of experience already at a high level, but has the potential to get even better.
