Daniel Farke with his arms behind his head, with Shea Charles in a circular inset
Daniel Farke with his arms behind his head, with Shea Charles in a circular inset
Leeds United are unlikely to meet Southampton's asking price for Shea Charles and are now prepared to walk away from their pursuit.
The 22-year-old has been one of Daniel Farke's top targets this summer, but he has already seen offers believed to be worth £20million and £23million rejected by the Saints.
Leeds are keen to spend big in this transfer window, but will not go beyond their means and are determined not to be forced into overpaying for their targets.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Southampton's £30million asking price will likely force Leeds to consider their other targets.
Despite having missed out on promotion to the Premier League last time out, Tonda Eckert's side are determined to keep their best players, and Leeds could now walk away.
That could, however, open the door for some of their Premier League rivals to swoop, as the Northern Ireland international has no shortage of top-flight admirers.
Could Leeds United walk away from signing Shea Charles?
After their first bid was rejected, Brown told Football Insider that Leeds were preparing to return with an improved offer which they hoped would be accepted.
However, after that second offer was turned down by the Saints, there is a growing feeling at Elland Road that the deal may be out of reach for them this summer.
Charles remains high on Leeds' radar, and they could revisit the move later in the window if he is still on the market, but for now they may be prepared to look elsewhere.
"Shea Charles is a good player who I've heard a lot of good things about," Brown told Football Insider.
"But for Leeds, they don't have the money at the moment to go spending beyond their means, especially when there are other positions in the squad they need to improve.
"It's difficult for the club, because when you want a player, it's hard to walk away from a deal and you can sometimes make excuses for overspending.
"But Leeds aren't in a position to do that, they need the funds to spend elsewhere, so £20million would have been ideal, £23million fine, but £30million will be too much.
"I don't think they'll be prepared to go to that price, so they're going to have to look elsewhere at other targets who are more within their price range.
"Maybe they could revisit Charles later in the window if his price tag drops, but it looks like Southampton are prepared to stand by their demands."
Which other clubs are interested in signing Charles?
With Leeds now preparing to walk away from their pursuit of Charles, it could open the door for rivals to make a move, with a number of clubs keen on the midfielder.
Multiple of Leeds' Premier League rivals have been tracking the midfielder, including the likes of Fulham and Manchester United, and they could be tempted into a move.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider on 13 July that Crystal Palace are in a strong position to hijack Leeds' move for Charles with better financial stability.
The Eagles have had scouts keeping a close eye on the midfielder's performances this season and could now step up their interest with Leeds backing away.
The Northern Ireland international ranks highly on the Eagles' summer shortlist as they aim to strengthen their squad ahead of participating in the Europa League.