Shea Charles absent from Southampton opener amid transfer stalemate | OneFootball

Leeds United target Shea Charles was left out of Southampton’s pre-season opener at Eastleigh on Saturday, with negotiations over his future still unresolved.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, Leeds have made offers for the midfielder this summer, the latest reportedly up to £25m, while Southampton are thought to value him at around £30m. Fulham and Crystal Palace are also understood to hold an interest.

Charles reported back for pre-season last week, later than many team-mates after June duty with Northern Ireland, but he was not involved in the first friendly. Southampton won 3-1, with Tonda Eckert selecting two different line-ups across the halves and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Leo Scienza and Lewis Dobbin all featuring.

Given his later return, the likelihood is he was not yet considered ready to play. Ben Brereton Diaz was another seemingly not physically ready to feature, while Finn Azaz missed out with a minor injury.

Southampton face Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday in Germany, the first of two games during a training camp. It remains to be seen whether Charles will be available.

Charles remains on Leeds’ list. Last week they completed their first fee-paying transfer of the summer, centre-back Tarik Muharemovic joining from Sassuolo for £34m, following free agent Harry Wilson as the second addition to Daniel Farke’s squad.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk