Southampton defensive midfielder Shea Charles has refused to rule out a move to Man Utd.

It was reported a couple of months ago that the 22-year-old is a target for the Red Devils, but when asked about his future, Charles said:

“At the moment, I’m focused on Southampton and the next campaign. We will see what happens when we go back for pre-season. I’m really looking forward to going back to Southampton.”

Charles’ asking price is believed to be in the range of £20m, so it would not be a huge outlay for the Red Devils.

The connection between Wilcox and Charles

Director of Football Jason Wilcox has worked with the player on two separate occasions. He first came across him during his time as academy manager at Manchester City.

When Wilcox moved to Southampton in 2023 to become their head of recruitment, he recommended Charles.

The midfielder joined the Saints for an initial £10.5m just weeks after Wilcox’s arrival at St Mary’s. It now appears he wants to be reunited with him again.

Man Utd want three midfielders

It has been repeatedly claimed that Wilcox would like to strengthen the midfield with three new additions, but one of those is thought to be dependent on the departure of Manuel Ugarte.

The Uruguayan international has struggled in his two seasons at United since his move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, and he will be allowed to leave if a suitor is found.

Ugarte’s departure would leave room for another midfielder, but it is not clear how high up Charles is on Wilcox’s shortlist

With £150m said to have been put aside to reinforce the middle of the park, it may well be the case that the Northern Ireland international will only be recruited if they run out of money to sign other targets.

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