Fulham have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Shea Charles from Southampton, with the move worth as much as £30 million, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
Romano confirmed the news on X, writing: “Fulham agree deal to sign Shea Charles from Southampton, here we go!”
The respected journalist added further detail to the announcement, stating the full terms of the agreement between the two clubs.
Romano wrote: “Deal now done between clubs at £30m package fee, huge sale for #SaintsFC in Championship and top signing wanted by Fulham since June. There’s also a sell-on clause included in the deal.”
Southampton will benefit from a sell-on clause as part of the agreement, giving the Championship club a share of any future profit on the 22-year-old.
The deal represents a significant piece of business for Fulham, who had been tracking Charles since June and moved decisively to get their man.
Crucially, Fulham were not the first club in the race for Charles, having hijacked a move by Leeds United, who had submitted an offer before the Cottagers swept in to secure his signature.
Charles impressed throughout Southampton’s Championship campaign last season, registering five goal involvements and winning more than six duels per 90 minutes before the club narrowly missed out on promotion.
The midfielder is expected to fill the void left by Sasa Lukic, who departed Craven Cottage earlier this summer, and will play a central role in Fulham’s Premier League plans under manager Alvaro Arbeloa.
Arbeloa has already used his Real Madrid connections to bring in Gonzalo Garcia for around £34 million and Cesar Palacios for £8.5 million, with Charles now the latest addition to an increasingly busy summer window.
Fulham also brought in young striker Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich for around £5 million, underlining the club’s ambition to rebuild strongly after a turbulent start to the transfer window.
The Cottagers had endured a frustrating summer after losing Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson, and manager Marco Silva, leaving supporters concerned about a lack of incoming activity for an extended period.
Charles, a former Manchester City academy product, will be one to watch in the Premier League this season as he looks to demonstrate his quality at the highest level.