Fulham readying major Southampton bid that would leave Leeds United empty handed | OneFootball

The Saints' ace is in high demand this summer.

After a successful Championship season that ended in the most dramatic of ways, Southampton are braced to lose one of their key players.

Tonda Eckert's side achieved a fourth-placed finish after an incredible run of 19 league games unbeaten but were kicked out of the play-offs despite beating Middlesbrough in the semi-final after Spygate revelations.

The Saints possess several prized assets within their ranks, and their failure to reach the Premier League has resulted in interest in those players.

Leeds United have been fighting hard to land a player who has developed into an integral part of Eckert's side, but now Fulham are ready to gazump them.

Fulham ready £24m bid for Southampton's Shea Charles

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Shea Charles was a man with vast potential when he came through the ranks at Manchester City, but as is the case with so many of their graduates, he has had to forge a career elsewhere.

Southampton signed the midfielder for a fee of up to £15million which included £4.5m in add-ons, and while he had to go on loan to Sheffield Wednesday for regular football, he has since become a first-team regular.

The Northern Ireland international made 38 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring six and assisting twice and drew plaudits for his consistent performances in the hub of midfield.

Fulham, Leeds United and Crystal Palace have all been linked with the 22-year-old, but now the Cottagers are set to make their move.

The West London outfit are preparing a £24m move for Charles, with new manager Alvaro Arbeloa on board with bringing the player to Craven Cottage, according to the Daily Mail.

The publication reports that talks are expected to advance, although they also note that the Saints are holding out for £25m plus add-ons for the midfielder.

Furthermore, Leeds have so far fallen short of that valuation and have had three proposals with add-ons turned down.

Losing your best players always hurts, but when you are a Championship club it is part and parcel of the game.

Middlesbrough have already lost last season's Player of the Season, Hayden Hackney, and while that would have been painful for supporters, the club still made a pure profit on the midfielder.

The fact that the reported Fulham bid is set to be just £1m shy of Southampton's valuation means the South Coasters have a decision to make, but it also leaves Leeds with something to ponder.

For Saints, the ideal scenario would be for a bidding war to break out among Premier League clubs, allowing them to secure an even heftier fee for their star man.

While fans would surely love to see Charles remain at St Mary's and play a part in their promotion challenge, if they can receive a sizeable fee for the player, then it will represent good business.