Rumours of a move for defensive midfielder Charles emerged last week as the Saints identified him as an ideal for Romeo Lavia – another City academy graduate. Now, a fresh update on the pursuit of the Northern Ireland international has come courtesy of the Daily Mail.
They report that Charles’ medical took place at noon today (Monday) as he finalises his move to St. Mary’s.
Southampton’s move for the 19-year-old is worth up to £15m and includes sell-on and buy-back clauses.
Should the move go through, it will end Charles’ 12-year affiliation with the club. He joined way back in 2011 and after playing extensively for the U18s and U21s in a range of defensive roles, he made his debut for Pep Guardiola’s side on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.
Another City prodigy
If the links are there to be used, Southampton would be foolish not to make the most of them. They need to build a squad capable of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking and given Russell Martin’s reputation for signing and developing promising players, it isn’t a surprise to see more top talents heading to the Saints this summer.
Charles looks like the ideal replacement for the exit-bound Lavia and could quickly become a big hit in Hampshire.
At £15m, the hope will be that his impact can be instant and that he can land the Saints another big fee in the years to come.
While defensive midfield has been his primary role, Charles can also play at centre-back. It was there where he made his debut against Brentford on the final day of last season, while he has also spent time playing at right-back in his youth career too.
