Leeds accelerating bid to sign £20m star

It will be interesting to see what tactical set-up Daniel Farke goes with week-in-week-out at Leeds United in the Premier League next season.

The German head coach led the Whites to a 14th-placed finish and the semi-finals of the FA Cup after switching from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 system in the first half of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, the former Norwich City boss has favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of his coaching career, with the Canaries, Leeds, Dortmund’s academy, and Borussia Monchengladbach.

The club are reportedly interested in deals to sign Julian Brandt and Harry Wilson on free transfers, and both players may be expected to start, but the 3-at-the-back formation only has three natural attackers.

With Noah Okafor, Brenden Aaronson, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin already at the club, Farke may look to move back to a 4-2-3-1 in the hope that new signings will make it more effective.

Leeds stepping up pursuit of Championship star

A move to a 4-2-3-1 formation would also throw up question marks about the midfield set-up, after the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff, and Ao Tanaka impressed last term.

Brandt and Wilson are not the only players on the 49ers’ radar, either, as they are reportedly looking at midfield star who would be like a hybrid of Stach and Ampadu for Farke.

According to the Daily Mail, Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Southampton central midfielder Shea Charles in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites are ramping up their efforts to land the Northern Ireland international, whom they have identified as a target to improve their options in the middle of the park.

It adds, though, that they will face competition from fellow Premier League side Everton and Serie A outfit Atalanta, who both want to sign the Saints star.

The Daily Mail reveals that a fee of £20m would be enough to secure his services after Southampton failed to earn promotion out of the Championship last season.

The qualities Shea Charles would bring to Leeds United

Analyst Kai Watson once stated that Charles “can do everything” in midfield, which is why he could arrive at Elland Road as a hybrid of both Stach and Ampadu.

The Leeds skipper was the defensive anchor in front of the backline for Farke in the Premier League last term, winning 62% of his ground duels and 64% of his aerial duels in the division.

Stach, meanwhile, provided quality at the top end of the pitch with a return of five goals and three assists in 29 appearances in the top-flight in his first season in English football with the Whites.

Like Ampadu, Charles is a physically dominant and combative central midfield player who wins the majority of his duels on the deck and in the air, which means that opposition players rarely get the better of him in physical battles.

The Southampton star also offers quality in the final third, though, after producing eight goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just 22 starts in the Championship last term.

The 22-year-old star also showed off both his tenacity and creativity in Northern Ireland’s 3-1 defeat to France in a friendly earlier this month, providing an assist for his side’s only goal.

Whilst he has yet to prove himself on a regular basis in the Premier League, Charles’ form for Northern Ireland and for Southampton last season suggest that he has the potential to be a brilliant addition to the squad.

His qualities in and out of possession also suggest that he would be the ideal partner for Ampadu or Stach in a double pivot if Farke goes with a 4-2-3-1 formation next season, as he would complement either of them.

He has the defensive nous and combative play to offset Stach’s offensive nature, whilst also having the attacking ability to provide quality on the ball if partnered with the more defensive Ampadu.

Therefore, Charles would be the ideal signing for the Whites if they want to continue building towards going back to the 4-2-3-1 formation that won the Championship with 100 points.