Southampton set to sign Manchester City midfielder in £15 million deal

Manchester City are moving closer towards sanctioning another transfer to the now-Championship side Southampton, according to reports.

The two clubs have enjoyed a fruitful relationship over the past 12 months, with their successful player transfers being extended to the transfer of high-ranking staff members including scouts and board members.

Ahead of the most recent 2022/23 season, Manchester City saw all of Gavin Bazunu, Juan Larios, and Samuel Edozie make switches to St Mary’s, while Romeo Lavia also completed a move that is likely to benefit both parties financially in the coming weeks and months.

Now, Manchester City and Southampton appear set to do business once again, in a deal that could speak volumes about the Championship side’s concerns over the future of Romeo Lavia, as the Belgian gains interest from a number of top Premier League clubs.

That is according to the information of transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, who reports that Southampton are now closing in on a deal to sign Manchester City’s academy graduate midfielder Shea Charles.

It is stated that the Premier League champions will receive a £9 million fee for the Northern Ireland international, with the agreement between the two clubs also set to include both a buy-back and sell-on clause.

The Athletic also report that Manchester City will retain matching bid rights in Shea Charles’ transfer to the south coast.

Should the remaining details go to plan as expected, then Charles will travel to the south coast this weekend to undergo his medical ahead of a move into the Championship for the 2023/24 season, according to Romano.

There are however some differences when it comes to the reporting of Charles’ expected transfer fee, with Simon Jones of MailSport outlining an £11 million fee, whilst Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News states the deal will be worth an initial £10.5 million, rising to a possible £15 million.

Having only signed his first professional contract in July 2021, before moving into Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad or EDS, Shea Charles’ development at the Etihad Stadium has been nothing short of meteoric.

The 19-year-old played a pivotal role in Brian Barry Murphy’s squad across the duration of the 2021/22 season, registering a total of 23 appearances in the Premier League 2 division, and a further five in the UEFA Youth League.

Shea Charles has been captain of Manchester City’s Elite Development squad for the season in which they not only retained the Premier League 2 title, but also won their third successive trophy in the competition in the 2022/23 campaign.

These seasons have also featured Charles’ senior debut for Northern Ireland, as well as his Premier League debut under Pep Guardiola which came against Brentford on the final day of the most recent campaign.

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