Fulham seal £30m deal for Shea Charles on five-year contract | OneFootball

Fulham have completed the £30m signing of Shea Charles from Southampton. The 22-year-old has agreed a five-year contract at Craven Cottage, becoming the most expensive Northern Irishman.

Fulham will pay £26m upfront with a further £4m in performance-related add-ons.

Charles said he was buzzing to complete the move, praised the club’s vision, and hopes to kickstart his Premier League career.

A Manchester City academy graduate from 2011, he spent 12 years there and captained PL2 title winners in 2022-23. He joined Southampton in 2023, made 38 appearances in his first season, and helped promotion via the playoffs.

He spent the next season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, winning their Player of the Season and earning an EFL Championship Young Player nomination. Last term he scored six in 38 as Southampton finished fourth and reached the playoffs.

Leeds United interest followed this summer, but Saints rejected multiple bids over £20m. Capped 35 times, the versatile Charles plays mainly in central midfield, and can also fill in at centre-back or right-back.

He is the third arrival under new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Marco Silva this summer. Fulham have already brought in the Madrid duo of striker Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios for a combined £42.5m, split £34m and £8.5m.

Outgoings include Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic to Ipswich Town for £17.5m combined, while top scorers Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez departed as free agents.

Source: Hounslow Herald

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