Leeds United weigh up move for '£20 million-rated' Championship star

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a move for Southampton midfielder Shea Charles.

Simon Jones of the Daily Mail reported that "Leeds United are weighing up a move for Southampton's £20 million-rated midfielder Shea Charles".

"Extensive talks" had taken place with 30-year-old midfielder Hidemasa Morita, who will be available on a free upon the expiry of his contract at Sporting Lisbon in June, but Charles is seen as a better fit as Leeds look to strengthen their midfield following captain Ethan Ampadu's contract extension.

Jones added that "the Northern Ireland international has also been on Manchester United's radar as he was signed by their sport director Jason Wilcox from Manchester City in a £15m deal, while he was at Southampton".

Charles thought he had sent Southampton to the Championship play-off final when guiding the ball home in the 116th minute of the Saints two-legged semi-final clash with Middlesbrough, but the club were later expelled from the play-offs for breaching regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training.

This has unsurprisingly prompted suggestions that a number of Saints' leading players could look to depart St Mary's in the summer transfer window, including the 22-year-old Norther Irishman.

Charles featured on 32 occasions for Southampton in the 2023/24 Championship campaign after making the £15m switch from Manchester City, but the following term saw him spend a season on loan with Sheffield Wednesday - proving instrumental as they clinched an impressive 12th-placed finish.

Returning to the Saints for the 2025/26 season, he proved nearly as crucial in their bid for promotion. While a hamstring injury sidelined Charles for 15 gameweeks, his return to the first team fold coincided with a 20-game unbeaten run that saw Tonda Eckert's side secure fourth place.

Charles impressed on the international stage against France in a friendly earlier this month too, registering an assist and competing against the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot, and so it's hardly surprising to see multiple top-flight clubs keeping tags on the midfielder.

While for Man Utd he could prove a budget option who may play second fiddle to the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Ederson and any future midfield additions, for Leeds you'd suspect that he would seize a spot in Daniel Farke's starting XI as they look to build on an impressive return to the Premier League.