What Man City may do with Sheffield Wednesday’s Pierce Charles if he signs | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's highly-rated young goalkeeper could be on his way to the Premier League, though how long that may be for is open to question.

The young Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper is set to return to Manchester City, the club at which he started his career, but he may not feature for them next season.

It's turning into a turbulent summer in the transfer market for Sheffield Wednesday. With considerable work to be done on their first team squad following a calamitous season in the Championship, the club are now under new ownership and have been extremely active in the summer transfer window as they plot a quick return from League One.

Wednesday's biggest issue on the pitch throughout the 2025-26 season was a lack of playing resources. EFL embargoes over the club's failure to pay wages on time resulted in a threadbare first-team squad, with youth players often making up the numbers on the substitutes bench and emergency signings required at points to ensure that they'd be able to fulfil their fixtures.

But one player who did continue to earn praise throughout this difficult season was young goalkeeper Pierce Charles. The 20-year-old earned a number of admirers throughout 2025-26, and it now seems almost certain that he's set to return to the club at which he started his professional career.

Pierce Charles is on his way to Manchester City, but he could be sent straight back out on loan

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Despite a catastrophic season in the Championship in 2025-26, Pierce Charles continued to impress in goal for Sheffield Wednesday, and his reward for this is a return to the club at which he started his journey in the professional game.

Charles started out at Manchester City, but moved to Sheffield Wednesday in October 2022. But Charles's performances have impressed the City hierarchy to the extent that he's now set to return to The Etihad this summer, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

But it seems unlikely that Charles will be their first choice next season. With Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli on City's books, one option for Charles is that he will be sent back out on loan in order to further finesse his game, though this does remain for the time being unconfirmed.

City's goalkeeping situation could yet change further this summer, though, with reports that James Trafford could be set to leave the club amid interest from numerous clubs, including Newcastle United, Brighton and Juventus.

What Sheffield Wednesday fans are saying about Pierce Charle's proposed move to Manchester City

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Sheffield Wednesday fans have been vocal on social media about the likelihood of their high-rated young goalkeeper. This fan feels that Wednesday could do with someone else expressing an interest in order to start a bidding war for the goalkeeper.

Another has questioned why Wednesday are selling Charles on, when he's already demonstrated his ability at Hillsborough over ther course of 2025-26.

Others are wondering whether Wednesday could use the sale negotiations in order to secure some of City's talent making the journey in the opposite journey as a makeweight in any proposed deal.

But there is recognition from some Wednesdayites that Charles is above the level of League One, and deserves a return to the Premier League.

Pierce Charles has earned his return to the Premier League

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One of the most impressive aspects of Pierce Charles's 2025-26 season with Sheffield Wednesday is what it says about his character as a player. Goalkeeping is unlike any other position on the pitch, and the psychological aspect of it is extremely important.

Charles said something quite profound about himself last season, not only by keeping going as his team sunk to a record low EFL points tally despite his relatively tender years, but also by attracting interest from one of the biggest clubs in world football.

Sheffield Wednesday conceded 89 goals in the Championship, by far the most in the division, but it's striking that the goalkeeper hasn't been held culpable for the shambles that his team so regularly were throughout 2025-26. Indeed, Charles has even continued to keep goal at an international level throughout this time. Having made his international debut for Northern Ireland against Belarus in October 2024, he has now won 12 caps for his country.

The question of what happens once the City deal is tied up will pique the interest of numerous clubs, both in England and beyond. Rumours of the imminent departure of James Trafford could mean that he spends 2025-26 watching and learning from Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marcus Bettinelli, but it could also be the case that Charles is sent straight back out on loan in order to further develop him.

Whatever happens to him next, Sheffield Wednesday fans will long remember Pierce Charles. The goalkeeper could have left last season. Few would have had many complaints had he done so, as the club fell apart around his ears. But modern players are ambitious, and with it commonly understood that he is a Premier League goalkeeper in waiting, a move back to the top-flight was always highly likely.