Premier League giants Manchester City are reportedly ready to make their move for Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles with interest growing “significantly in recent weeks”.
Charles came through the youth ranks at City before joining Sheffield Wednesday, who were relegated to League One ahead of next season – a development which has put a number of top clubs on alert.
The 20-year-old is one of the most highly-rated young goalkeepers in Europe having racked up 27 league appearances for the Owls alongside cementing his spot as Northern Ireland’s number one.
Charles possesses many desirable attributes for a modern-day shot-stopper, including a superb range of passing and being comfortable with the ball at his feet.
Northern Ireland’s Pierce Charles. (Photo by William Cherry/Presseye)placeholder image
Northern Ireland’s Pierce Charles. (Photo by William Cherry/Presseye)
England’s James Trafford is linked with interest from Newcastle United, meaning City are now searching for an alternative to challenge Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Etihad Stadium.
TeamTALK have reported that City are “preparing to move” for Charles, who they have “been tracking for months”, in the coming weeks.
It could be an interesting summer for Northern Ireland’s stars with Pierce’s older brother Shea, Ethan Galbraith and Terry Devlin amongst those being monitored by clubs.
Charles brought his international cap tally to 12 after featuring in both of this month’s friendly fixtures against Guinea and France.
He also impressed during Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off semi-final defeat to Italy in March, leading to praise from boss Michael O’Neill.
“The saves that he made at key moments, but his decision making was excellent,” he said. “He doesn’t bring any pressure onto his back three, which I think is rare in a goalkeeper of that age.
"He’s got a brilliant temperament. There were great performances all over the pitch, but Pierce in particular had a very strong performance.”
While a host of clubs are keen on acquiring Charles’ services, Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen has said they’ll do everything to keep him.
"He is a fantastic goalkeeper,” he said in April. “Normally we speak about Pierce being top with his feet, today how also showed how mentally strong he is and how strong he is defensively.
"I think there's nobody that has doubt for his potential. He has a big, big future, that's why we are really, really proud and really happy that he's a part of Sheffield Wednesday. We will do everything we can to keep him for the future.”