The future “£60m player” wants to sign for Leeds

Leeds United needed to add players with Premier League experience to their squad after being promoted from the Championship last year.

The Whites knew they would need players who have been there and done it in the division to stand a good chance of avoiding rapid relegation.

That’s why they rushed 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 have reportedly paid £12m to sign Longstaff from the Magpies to add steel and experience to their midfield options.

After 171 appearances in the Premier League for Newcastle, the English star was an important part of the team with his experience both on and off the pitch.

Leeds are in talks to sign the Championship star

However, Longstaff was not always a consistent player on the pitch for the Whites throughout the campaign, starting ten of his 23 appearances in the top flight.

Now, the club are reportedly eyeing a move for the potential star to Elland Road as the best 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 midfielder Shea Charles in the summer transfer window.

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

He adds that the club have submitted a £20m offer to the Championship side, but negotiations are ongoing and a bigger offer may be needed to secure his services.

TEAMtalk say Leeds are hoping to come to an agreement with Southampton before any rival clubs have bids for the midfielder, which is why they have been quick to sign him.

Why Shea Charles would be better than Leeds’ Sean Longstaff

Now that the Whites are surviving their first season in the Premier League and their players are experienced at this level, Farke can take a big risk on a strong signing.

Charles is not a proven Premier League player who has been there and done it during his five years in the division, but he has the potential to be the club’s star.

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

The Northern Ireland star has the potential to provide a major threat at the other end of the pitch, after scoring twice as many goals and creating high chances for his teammates.

Although he has yet to play in the Premier League, Charles has shown his attacking qualities against high-profile opposition, with goals in the cup against Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as helping his country against France earlier this month.

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

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

That he was halved more times per game in the 2025/26 campaign shows that he is more mobile than the England midfielder, as he can recover to win the ball back if a player tries to pass him.

Their respective levels of success in duels on the ground and in the air also suggest that Charles is more powerful against opposing midfielders, which would make him a more effective defender for Farke than Longstaff was.

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.