Fulham agree £30m fee for Southampton's Charles

What the report says

Fulham have reached an agreement to sign Southampton midfielder Shea Charles in a deal that could be worth up to £30m, with the move still dependent on a medical, BBC Sport Football reported. The 22-year-old is set to join the west London club on a five-year contract and would become the most expensive Northern Irish footballer on record if the transfer is completed.

According to the BBC, Charles began his career at Manchester City and was also linked with Leeds United before choosing Fulham. He is expected to fill the midfield role left open by Sasa Lukic, who joined Ipswich Town last week. The report says Fulham have moved quickly to strengthen under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa.

Arbeloa, who arrived after Marco Silva left to take charge of Benfica, has now overseen three incoming signings. Fulham previously added striker Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid, reflecting the club’s transfer activity under the new coach.

The signing comes ahead of Fulham’s pre-season match against Stuttgart on 15 August and their Premier League opener away to Chelsea on 24 August. In general, the move underlines Fulham’s efforts to rebuild their squad before the new campaign, while Southampton are set to lose a young midfielder who has attracted significant interest.