The proposed transfer to the west London club will make the 22-year-old the most expensive Northern Irish footballer ever. Matt McNulty/Getty ImagesAug. 9, 2026 Updated 8:23 am EDTShea Charles is set to undergo a medical at Fulham on Monday after a deal that could reach £30million was agreed with Southampton.The 22-year-old is set to sign a five-year contract at the west London club in a move that would make him the most expensive Northern Irish footballer ever.Fulham will pay an upfront fee of £26m with a further £4m in performance-related add-ons also included.Earlier this summer, the Championship club had rejected multiple bids, exceeding £20m, from Leeds United for the central midfielder.Charles joined Southampton from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 and has made 76 appearances for the Championship club, either side of a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in the 2024-25 season.
The 2025-26 campaign saw the midfielder score six times and provide two assists across 38 matches as Southampton reached the second tier’s play-offs with a fourth-place finish.Charles scored in the semi-final victory against Middlesbrough before Tonda Eckert’s side was expelled from contention by the English Football League for attempting to spy on their opponents.The midfielder is the brother of Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who re-joined Manchester City earlier this summer from Sheffield Wednesday and has subsequently moved on loan to Queens Park Rangers.Earlier this week, Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic completed a medical ahead of joining newly-promoted Ipswich Town.Fulham have already completed the signings of striker Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid for a combined fee of €50m (£42.9m; $57.4m).They were the first arrivals of the summer under former Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Marco Silva in the Fulham dugout this summer.Fulham sold Issa Diop, another Morocco international centre-back, to Ipswich Town earlier this summer, while Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez also left Craven Cottage upon the expiry of their contracts — subsequently joining Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively.
