Fulham has agreed a deal worth up to £30 million for Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, subject to a medical, with the 22-year-old Northern Irishman set to sign a five-year contract at Craven Cottage.
The transfer fee, which includes performance-related add-ons, will make Charles the most expensive Northern Irish footballer in history, surpassing the previous record held by Steven Davis.
The Manchester City academy product, who joined Southampton in 2023, had attracted strong interest from Leeds United but ultimately chose west London to fill the void left by Sasa Lukic, who completed his move to Ipswich Town last week.
Charles becomes Fulham’s third summer signing under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, the former Real Madrid interim boss who took over after Marco Silva departed to manage Benfica. Arbeloa, who led Madrid’s senior side for the second half of the 2025–26 season, has already secured Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia (striker) and Cesar Palacios (midfielder) ahead of Charles’s arrival.
Fulham’s preseason continues Wednesday with a trip to Málaga, followed by a home friendly against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, 15 August. Their Premier League campaign kicks off on Monday, 24 August, with a London derby against Chelsea at Craven Cottage.
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