Premier League club 'agrees' record-breaking transfer deal for former Sheffield Wednesday star
Former Sheffield Wednesday loanee Shea Charles is closing in on a move to Fulham in what is set to be a record-breaking deal.
Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles is set to join Premier League side Fulham in a deal that could eventually be worth £30million, according to a report by The Athletic.
It has been reported that the Cottagers have ‘agreed’ a deal with Southampton to sign the former Owls loanee following talks between the two clubs. He is set to undergo a medical on Monday.
Charles, who spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Hillsborough, had been linked with a move to Fulham’s Premier League rivals Leeds United earlier this summer, but Southampton rejected multiple offers from the West Yorkshire outfit.
It has been claimed that Fulham will pay an upfront fee of £26m with a further £4m in performance-related add-ons included in the deal. Charles appeared to be saying farewell to Southampton’s supporters following their 2-0 win over Colchester United in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Saturday.
The 22-year-old, who made 44 appearances during his time at Wednesday, played a key role in Southampton’s impressive turnaround last season, scoring six goals in 38 matches across all competitions. His final goal of the campaign initially secured Southampton a place in the Championship play-off final, but Middlesbrough were later reinstated after the Saints were found guilty of spying on their Championship play-off semi-final opponents, as well as Oxford United and Ipswich Town during the regular season.
News of Charles’ impending return to the Premier League will come as little surprise to Wednesdayites, who regularly gushed over the Northern Ireland international during his season-long loan spell at Hillsborough.
Charles, who joined Southampton from Manchester City in July 2023, has previously made just one Premier League appearance, marking the occasion by making his City debut against Brentford in May 2023.
Should his move to Fulham go through without any late snags or hitches, Charles will become the most expensive Northern Irish player of all time.