Premier League Giants Target Southampton Star Amid ‘Spygate’

Originally posted on Essential Football | By J Johnson | Last updated May 21, 2026 4:16 PM ET

Recently, Southampton qualified for the Championship playoff after they defeated Middlesbrough in the semi-finals. Now, however, following the ‘Spygate’ scandal, they have been kicked out of the competition – meaning that they will remain a second-tier club ahead of next season.

As such, this has fueled transfer speculation. Some of their top players have been linked with clubs to the Premier League, including Northern Ireland international Shea Charles.

Manchester United are thought to be amongst the interested parties. According to a report from the Mirror, the Red Devils could up their interest in the player following the recent revelations, given their boosted bargaining power.

Despite this, United are not the only ones in the race for Charles’ signature. Everton and Rangers are also believed to be looking at a move for the player, as per Football League World.

As things stand, it is unclear how much Charles will cost any of his prospective suitors, though rumours suggest that he will command a fee in the region of £20 million.

Previously, Charles spent time in Manchester City’s academy, joining the Sky Blues all the way back in 2011. He subsequently joined Southampton in 2023, enjoying a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday last season.

Shea Charles 2025/26 Championship stats

	Games	Goals	Assists	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
Shea Charles	33	4	2	6	0

It’s important to remember that Charles is far from the finished article, being just 22 years of age. Nevertheless, he has shown plenty of potential in his burgeoning career.

At 6ft 2, he is unusually tall for a midfielder. This makes him a threat from set-pieces – additionally, as a physically strong player, he is also very difficult to knock off the ball.

Furthermore, he can also play in a number of positions. In addition to playing in central midfield, Charles can also function as a defensive midfielder, a right-back, a left-back and as a centre-back.

What is the latest news on Southampton’s ‘Spygate’ saga?

Currently, Southampton will not be participating in the Championship playoff final, with Middlesbrough having been reinstated by default. The Saints submitted an appeal, in which they accepted their guilt, but were unhappy with the severity of the punishment.

Despite this, the EFL rejected their appeal – as such, their Championship status ahead of next season is now confirmed, with Middlesbrough set to take on Hull City in the final of the playoffs. Hull themselves are unhappy with the situation – they have been afforded less time to prepare for their opponents as a result of the scandal and could take legal action if they are defeated.

A statement from the EFL read: “A league arbitration panel has tonight dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the independent disciplinary commission’s sanction following the admittance of multiple breaches of EFL regulations,” the EFL said on Wednesday.

“The determination means that the original sanction of expulsion from the Championship play-offs remains in place, as does the four-point deduction to be applied to the 2026-27 Championship table and the reprimand in respect of all charges.”

This article first appeared on Essential Football and was syndicated with permission.

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