£20m+ offer made for Shea Charles

Manchester United are planning most of their summer transfer business to rebuild their midfield this upcoming window.

With Brazilian international Ederson effectively through the door and soon to put pen to paper on a contract, two further midfielders will likely arrive at Old Trafford.

Elliot Anderson appears to be out of United’s price range, while Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is not set to be pursued by the club. The options right now appear few and far between.

One player who the Red Devils have scouted is Southampton’s Shea Charles. The 22-year-old midfielder, who can play in a range of positions, has impressed on the world stage with Northern Ireland, recently bossing the game against World Cup favourites France.

Charles also netted the winner for Southampton against Arsenal in last season’s FA Cup quarter-final, and sent his side to Wembley once again in the campaign with a late winner against Middlesbrough, before the club was expelled from the play-offs through their ‘Spygate’ involvement.

Michael Carrick’s side aren’t alone in their interest, with historic club rivals Leeds United circling to attain the impressive young midfielder’s services. According to Daily Mail reporter Simon Jones on X, Leeds United have now made a “£20m-plus” offer to Southampton for Shea Charles.

It goes to show how high interest is in midfield signings this summer, with yet another Manchester United target being approached. After Tottenham Hotspur moved closer to signing Mateus Fernandes, the potential signings for the Red Devils are diminishing.

Shea Charles came through Manchester City’s academy before signing for Southampton in 2023. He has just one year left on his deal at St Mary’s, but the club have an option to further extend this by a year.

His development has been impressive, but Shea Charles won’t be ready to step in as a partner for Kobbie Mainoo immediately. If Manchester United choose to make a move for the Northern Irishman, they will still have to target a first-choice midfielder this summer.