A former scout has issued his verdict on Southampton’s Shea Charles amid talk of Leeds United and Crystal Palace interest
A former Premier League scout believes Crystal Palace could pounce if Leeds United miss out on Southampton star Shea Charles.
Shea Charles has been strongly linked with a move away from Southampton.placeholder image
Shea Charles has been strongly linked with a move away from Southampton. | Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Crystal Palace hijack mooted
Mick Brown, who has worked for the likes of Manchester United and Sunderland, has suggested Palace could step in if Leeds fail to reach an agreement.
He told Football Insider: “It looks like it's going to be difficult for Leeds to reach an agreement for Charles. They've made a couple of offers, but Southampton keep driving the price up, and it's getting to the point now where Leeds might have to walk away because they won't overpay.
“That will be good news for some of his other suitors, Crystal Palace for example, who might be in better positions to spend big on a midfielder.
“Palace are in Europe again next season, and they've learnt now they need a deep squad if they want to compete without it having a negative impact on their Premier League form.
“Charles is somebody they like, they had scouts keeping a close eye on him last season, so they'll know all about him, the pros and cons, what he could bring to the team.
“Lots of the talk at Palace has been about which players could move on, and if Adam Wharton was to leave, it would be a big concern for them.
“Because of that, they want to sign a new midfielder, and to strengthen the squad in general for the new manager, and if Leeds are going to back off then they might be tempted to move.”
Shea Charles enjoyed a stellar 2025/26 season at Southampton.placeholder image
Shea Charles enjoyed a stellar 2025/26 season at Southampton. | Steven Paston/PA Wire
Shea Charles’ career path
Charles is a product of Manchester City’s academy and made his Premier League debut in a defeat to Brentford in May 2023.
He signed for Southampton later that year, although did not immediately establish himself at St Mary’s. He spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, catapulting himself into a more prominent role with his parent club.
Charles was a key cog in the Saints machine last term, helping Tonda Eckert’s men book a place in the Championship play-offs.
The club defeated Middlesbrough at the semi-final stage only to be removed from the play-offs amid the ‘spygate’ saga.