Leeds United take new action to try and sign Southampton's Shea Charles | OneFootball

Leeds United have made yet another attempt to sign versatile Southampton star Shea Charles this summer...

Leeds United are stepping up their interest in Southampton's Shea Charles, with the Northern Irish midfielder likely to head to the Premier League this summer after the Saints were kicked out of the play-offs.

Had Southampton played in the final at Wembley and won it, they would have joined Leeds United in the Premier League and been able to retain all of their star players. As it is, they are fighting to keep hold of Shea Charles, Leo Scienza, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and more.

Dragan Solak has laid out his intentions to retain Southampton's best players, but the reality was always likely to be that some left the club after the Spygate situation, leaving the Saints with plenty of work to do this summer.

Leeds' interest in Charles was revealed around 10 days ago, with the Whites then lodging a bid to sign him. Leeds' offer to Southampton for Charles was around £20 million, but that was just their initial bid and more are expected.

A second Shea Charles bid has been placed by Leeds United

Per Ben Jacobs, that bid was rejected but talks have been ongoing. Southampton’s valuation of Charles is described by the journalist as being significantly higher. Those talks, according to Sky Sports' Zinny Boswell, have been described as positive.

Jack Rosser then stated that Leeds were then closing in on the signing of Charles from Southampton. He explained that Southampton want more than the initial bid but talks have been continuing and a deal is thought to be close.

There have been further details revealed regarding Leeds' pursuit of the Southampton midfielder, with Simon Jones of The Daily Mail now revealing the latest information on the former Sheffield Wednesday loanee.

He states that Leeds have made an improved bid for Charles worth up to £25 million. He adds that the Elland Road outfit had their first offer rejected over the weekend by Southampton and they have returned with an increase as they try to secure the Northern Ireland international.

Dan Neil could replace Charles for Southampton, with the Saints leading the way to sign the midfielder from Sunderland on a free transfer. He spent the end of last season helping Ipswich Town gain promotion under Kieran McKenna.

Shea Charles could be worth closer to £30 million to Southampton

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Southampton would be well within their rights to hold out for a fee closer to £30 million for Charles this summer given his age, profile, versatility, and outstanding development over the past few seasons.

However, if interest does not quite reach that valuation, accepting a package worth around £25 million with a significant sell-on clause could ultimately prove to be the smarter piece of business. That is maybe the kind of figure and package for Leeds to get this deal done.

At just 22, Charles is still some way from reaching his peak and has all the attributes to establish himself as a Premier League midfielder over the coming years. If a club like Leeds United were to sign him and he continued on his current trajectory, it is not difficult to imagine his value doubling to £50 million or more within two or three seasons.

In that scenario, Southampton would benefit again through a percentage of any future sale. That would allow them to maximise the long-term value of one of their most prized assets rather than simply focusing on the up front transfer fee. This feels like a deal that is inevitable to happen now.