Future “£60m player” wants to sign for Leeds

Leeds United needed to inject some experienced Premier League operators into their squad after they gained promotion from the Championship last year.

The Whites knew that they would need players who had been there and done it in the division to stand a good chance of avoiding an instant relegation from the top-flight.

That is why they swooped to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer from Everton, James Justin from Leicester City, and Sean Longstaff from Newcastle United.

The West Yorkshire outfit reportedly paid a fee of £12m to sign Longstaff from the Magpies to add some steel and experience to their options in the middle of the park.

After 171 appearances in the Premier League for Newcastle, the English star was a valuable addition to the group with his experience both on and off the pitch.

Leeds are in talks to sign Championship star

However, Longstaff was not always a consistent performer on the pitch for the Whites throughout the campaign, as he only started ten of his 23 appearances in the top-flight.

Now, the club are reportedly looking at a move for a star who could arrive at Elland Road as an even better option for Daniel Farke in the middle of the park.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are in talks with Southampton over a deal to sign central midfielder Shea Charles in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Northern Ireland international wants to make the move to West Yorkshire, and that he is excited by the prospect of joining the Whites to play in the Premier League.

It adds that the club have submitted an offer of around £20m to the Championship side, but talks are ongoing and a larger offer may be needed to secure his services.

TEAMtalk states that Leeds are hoping that they can agree a deal with Southampton before any rival teams come in with offers for the midfielder, which is why they have moved so quickly to bid for him.

Why Shea Charles would be better than Sean Longstaff for Leeds

Now that the Whites have survived their first Premier League season and their players have experience in the division, Farke can take more risks on signings with potential.

Charles is not a proven Premier League player who has been there and done it over the course of five years in the division, but he has the potential to be a star for the club.

His performances in the Championship for Southampton last season suggest that he could have the qualities to come in and offer more to the team than Longstaff did in the top-flight.

The Northern Irish star has the potential to offer a greater threat at the top end of the pitch, after scoring twice as many goals and creating more high-quality chances for his teammates.

Whilst he is yet to play in the Premier League, Charles has showcased his attacking quality against top level opposition, with cup goals against Liverpool and Arsenal, and an assist against France for his country earlier this month.

His performances in those games suggest that he does have the ability to make an impact against elite level opponents, which is why Leeds should feel safe about how he will adapt to playing in the Premier League.

Charles, who was hailed as a future “£50-60m player” by EFL expert Ali Maxwell, could also offer more defensive and physical qualities to Leeds than Longstaff, due to his superior strength and mobility.

The fact that he was dribbled past half as many times per game in the 2025/26 campaign shows that he is far more mobile than the English midfielder, as he can recover to win the ball back when a player attempts to dribble past him.

Their respective success rates in duels on the ground and in the air also suggests that Charles is more physically dominant against opposition midfielders, which could make him a more effective defender for Farke than Longstaff has been.

Therefore, the Whites could improve their options in the middle of the park by taking a risk on the Saints star in the hope that he can adapt to the Premier League.