Who is Charlie Savage? Reading man linked with Sheffield United move who ex-Leeds United star thinks is 'exceptional'

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One of League One's most creative players is one of the latest names to be linked with a move to Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United have been credited with interest in Reading and Wales midfielder Charlie Savage.

According to CaughtOffside, Savage has emerged as a target for the Blades as well as Norwich City and Stoke City. All three clubs are reportedly confident of getting a deal done, and that they can test the Royals' resolve before the window shuts.

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He is 21-years-old, and his contract at the Madejski Stadium runs until the summer of 2027. Reading will want to keep their best players as they make a push for promotion, but given their precarious situation, if a bid is too good to turn down, they may consider parting ways with the talented young midfielder.

Savage is one of several players to be linked with a move to Bramall Lane already this month. Amid strong transfer speculation here is the lowdown on the player...

Charlie Savage has two caps for the Welsh national team. Charlie Savage has two caps for the Welsh national team.
Charlie Savage has two caps for the Welsh national team. | Getty Images

His career to date

Born in Leicester, Savage began his career at Manchester United, similar to his dad Robbie. He signed professional terms with Man United in 2021, and in total made one senior appearance for them.

Savage had a loan spell at Forest Green Rovers in 2023, but suffered relegation with the Gloucestershire outfit. He returned to Manchester in the summer, but would soon be let go to Reading. No transfer fee was paid, but any potential sale, will see United receive 50% of the proceeds.

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Since joining Reading, Savage has made 72 appearances, scoring 11 goals, and providing eight assists. This season, he's got played a part in six goals across all competitions, with the financially-stricken club currently in the play-offs.

On the international stage, Charlie Savage has been capped twice for the Welsh senior team, with both appearances coming under ex-Blades defender Rob Page. It was Rob Page who encouraged Savage to leave Old Trafford.

Page told the youngster that if he wanted to play international football, he'd need to be playing regularly, and so he left the Red Devils. Savage impressed on his international debut, supplying a cross in for United frontman Kieffer Moore, in a 4-0 win against Gibraltar back in October 2023.

Hull City boss Ruben Selles made the decision to change Charlie Savage’s position. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)Hull City boss Ruben Selles made the decision to change Charlie Savage’s position. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
Hull City boss Ruben Selles made the decision to change Charlie Savage’s position. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

What has been said about Charlie Savage?

As mentioned, Savage has already played twice for the senior team, but at the moment, he doesn’t feature in Craig Bellamy’s plans. At under-21s level, he's played eight times, and was part of a side which narrowly missed out on qualification for EURO 2025.

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His manager at that level has been Matthew Jones, who played for Leeds United, and Leicester City during his playing days. The 44-year-old thinks pretty highly of Savage, and praised him for his decision to leave Manchester United, to pursue first-team opportunities.

"He is doing his talking through his ability and performances," said Wales under-21s boss Jones to the BBC after he was called up to the senior squad in October 2023.

"The courage he has shown as a young player, to leave a club like Manchester United to carve out a career at Reading has been exceptional.

"Not many players would have the bravery to do that, so we have to give him a huge amount of credit for that."

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We can speak about his ability and talent, of course we can, but what he has done is gone to play men's football and he has found a way to achieve week in week out," added the former Leeds United midfielder.

"It's not just performances he is carving out, his statistics are showing that he is really effective on the pitch.

"He was exceptional in our September window and his attitude has been very, very good."

Ruben Selles now manages Hull City, but during his time in Berkshire, he took the decision to change his position. Savage was initially signed to play as a holding midfielder, but now he's regarded as a box-to-box player.

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"Since we changed Charlie’s position over the summer as an eight- the left-footed eight position- with his ability and quality it suits him better than the six position," he said to the Reading Chronicle.

"He has been involved in scoring and some situations but also his intensity in the counter-press and reading pressure.

Charlie is a great player and the way Wales are playing now, a little bit more aggressive than they were with the change of philosophy, I think it suits him really well. Hopefully it is the first of many for him."

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