How much Shea Charles earns at Southampton as Nottingham Forest and Man Utd eye moves | OneFootball

We look at how much Shea Charles currently earns at Southampton as Nottingham Forest and Manchester United plot moves for the midfielder.

Southampton are currently pushing for promotion from the Championship, but they may be bracing themselves for summer interest in midfielder Shea Charles.

Charles became the latest Manchester City academy product to join Southampton when he made the move to St Mary's in the summer of 2023 for an initial fee of £10.5 million, with the deal potentially being worth up to £15 million including add-ons.

The 22-year-old made 38 appearances for the Saints in his debut campaign at the club, helping them secure promotion to the Premier League, but he was deemed surplus to requirements in the top flight, and he spent last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

Charles scored one goal and provided five assists in 44 games during a hugely impressive spell at Hillsborough, winning the Owls' Player of the Season award, and he has been a key player for Southampton this season after his return to the South Coast.

However, as Charles continues to star during the Saints' rise up the table under Tonda Eckert, it seems his performances have not gone unnoticed, and his list of suitors is increasing ahead of the summer transfer window.

Nottingham Forest and Manchester United plotting Southampton raid for Shea Charles

Despite being sidelined for almost three months due to a hamstring injury between October and January, Charles has been one of Southampton's most influential performers this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 29 appearances so far.

As well as pulling the strings in the heart of midfield, Charles has provided plenty of crucial contributions for the Saints, including a 96th-minute winner in the stunning 4-3 comeback victory at Leicester City in February, and his delightful long-range strike in the 2-0 win over Oxford United last month further showcased his quality.

However, there is no doubt that Charles' standout moment in a Southampton shirt - and potentially even of his career - came in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Premier League giants Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals when his 85th-minute goal knocked Mikel Arteta's men out of the competition and set up a semi-final meeting with Manchester City at Wembley later this month.

As well as their impressive FA Cup run, the Saints have surged into the Championship play-off places after a 13-game unbeaten run in the league, so Charles' full focus at present will be on events at St Mary's, but he will no doubt be aware of the increasing speculation over his future.

Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox brought Charles to Southampton back in 2023, and it has been claimed that he is keen to reunite with him at Old Trafford, while Everton and Nottingham Forest have also been linked with the Northern Ireland international, who is reportedly valued at £20 million by the Hampshire outfit.

As rumours about a potential summer exit for Charles gather pace, we looked at how much the midfielder currently earns with the Saints.

Shea Charles' wages at Southampton amid Nottingham Forest and Manchester United interest

According to Capology, Charles takes home £10,000-a-week and £520,000-a-year at Southampton, although it should be stressed that those figures are estimates.

Of course, that is a significant salary, but Charles receives much less than many of his Saints team-mates, including the club's highest paid player, Finn Azaz, who is on an eye-watering £50,000-a-week and £2,600,000-a-year.

Alex McCarthy, Mads Roerslev, Jack Stephens and Cameron Archer are among Southampton's other top earners, with the quartet pocketing £40,000-a-week, while Flynn Downes and Tom Fellows (both £30,000-a-week), Oriol Romeu (£25,000-a-week) and James Bree, Caspar Jander, Leo Scienza and Ross Stewart (all £20,000-a-week) are next on the list.

Given Charles' lack of senior experience when he arrived at St Mary's almost three years ago, it is little surprise that he was not offered the same wages as some of the club's higher-profile stars, but his current contract terms could make the significantly larger salary that would likely be on the table elsewhere more tempting.

The Saints will be reluctant to lose Charles this summer, but as interest in his services continues to grow, they may find it tough to retain him, even if they achieve promotion to the Premier League.