Nottingham Forest join Man Utd in £20m race to sign Southampton star

Shea Charles has been linked with a summer move away from Southampton

Southampton took a giant step towards earning a play-off place in the Championship this season on Tuesday night.

The Saints faced rivals Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground and earned an emphatic 5-1 victory.

Goals from Kuryu Matsuki, Flynn Downes, Cyle Larin, Ross Stewart and Finn Azaz completed a rout that moved the Hampshire outfit into the top six.

Tonda Eckert’s side are now unbeaten in their last 13 league fixtures, which has seen them move into contention for a place in the Premier League.

Southampton also have an FA Cup semi-final to prepare for in what is going to be a very busy end to the campaign.

It will make planning for the summer transfer window early a difficult task, particularly as their league status for next season might not be determined until 23 May.

The future of Shea Charles has become the subject of intense speculation following Southampton’s impressive run of form.

Former scout Mick Brown has claimed that Nottingham Forest are one of the clubs considering a move for him in the summer transfer window.

He believes the midfielder will have plenty of suitors, and that an exit from St. Mary’s could be on the cards, especially if the Saints miss out on promotion to the Premier League.

“Shea Charles is one a few clubs have been looking at,” said Brown, via Football Insider .

“He’s been very impressive for Southampton this season and he’s looked good for Northern Ireland as well, he’s got international experience behind him.

“Nottingham Forest are one of the clubs looking at him because they want a new midfielder.

“He’s one of a few who have been on their radar, but they’ve been keeping tabs on his performances and I’m sure they like what they’ve seen.

“If Southampton don’t get promoted or even miss out on the playoffs, he could move on because he’s ready for the step up to the Premier League.

“There’s a lot of interest, which means his price tag might be pushed up, so we’ll see if any clubs are willing to pay the price but that might be good for Southampton.”

It has also been reported that Charles is attracting interest from both Everton and Manchester United following Southampton’s FA Cup heroics.

The 22-year-old has been given a £20 million valuation ahead of the summer, with interest in his services rising.

Man United’s current director of football Jason Wilcox was a key figure at Southampton when Charles was signed from Manchester City in the 2023 summer transfer window.

The midfielder has contributed two goals and two assists from 25 league appearances so far this season, with Eckert’s side now sitting sixth in the Championship table.

Southampton are aiming to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt after coming 20th in the table last season.

The Saints moved into sixth with their win over Wrexham, with the gap between the two sides now two points.

Eckert’s side also still hold an extra game in hand, where a win would take them above Hull City and into fifth, as things stand.

Next up for the Hampshire outfit is a home clash against eighth place Derby County on 11 April in a 3pm kick-off.

If Southampton want to hold onto their better and most promising players this summer, including Charles, then they will need to gain promotion to the Premier League.

Their run to the FA Cup semi-finals has raised a lot of eyebrows, particularly the 2-1 victory at home to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Charles has a number of top flight clubs circling, and he may feel now is the time to take the step up to the Premier League, particularly as he spent last year on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

There is also every chance Nottingham Forest go down and Southampton go up, and that would surely end any chance the Reds have of completing this deal.