Sheffield Wednesday’s opening day opponents flex financial muscles to snatch Owls starlet’s brother

Championship newcomers Leicester have already thrown around their considerable wealth in a bid to make a return to the Premier League after dropping out last season, with Harry Winks and Conor Coady coming in for a combined reported fee of around £16m. And now one of the other sides to have been relegated are to make a multi-million-pound deal.

Northern Ireland international Shea Charles looks set to make the move from Manchester City to Southampton, with reports suggesting the fee could be around £10m. Charles, who is the older brother of Wednesday’s young goalkeeper, Pierce, could then line up at Hillsborough in the opening match of the new EFL season on Friday, August 4.

Reports suggest that Charles, who has played just 27 minutes of Premier League football for the treble-winners, could head to St Mary’s on a transfer deal that contains various add-ons and a buy-back clause.

The 19-year-old has won eight caps for Northern Ireland and can play in either defence or midfield, with Southampton yet again bringing a product of City’s youth academy to St Mary’s Stadium after the captures of Romeo Lavia, Sam Edozie, Gavin Bazunu and Juan Larios last summer.

Wednesday’s recruitment this summer is yet to really get going, though Reece James’ loan move from Blackpool was made permanent.

Now that new manager Xisco Munoz has his feet under the table at S6 it is expected that signings will soon follow. However, there is an acceptance that the market is quiet so far, with perhaps the later Premier League finish last season causing that.

Ipswich Town CEO Mark Ashton acknowledged as much on the Tractor Boys official podcast this week, saying: “We need to bring some more in, we’re working on that now. The transfer market’s a little bit dry, it’s a little bit slow when you’re looking at what all the other clubs have done.”

Wednesday’s new boss will get his see his side in action for the first time on Saturday when the travel to face York City in a friendly.