The £12m star will be ditched at Leeds if Farke signs Shea Charles

Leeds United are looking to improve their squad after finishing 14th in the Premier League in their first year back in the big time under Daniel Farke.

The German head coach had his fair share of doubters after being sacked by Norwich City early in his career, but he proved he can be an effective manager in the top flight.

Now, the board is backing him financially going forward and aims to finish top of the table with new recruits in the summer transfer window.

Harry Wilson looks set to become the club’s first signing of the window after agreeing a five-year deal at Elland Road after leaving Fulham at the end of last month.

The Whites are hoping to bring in Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles after making a £23m bid, which was rejected, and it remains to be seen how much will be required to secure his signature.

Why Leeds should pay Shea Charles’ asking price

Leeds must, within reason, pay Southampton’s asking price for the midfielder because he is “a £50-60m player of the future”, says EFL pundit Ali Maxwell.

Charles is a Northern Ireland international, with 35 caps to his name, aged 22, and played 38 times in all competitions for Saints last season.

The 22-year-old scored six goals in those games for Southampton, including goals against Middlesbrough in the play-offs and Liverpool and Arsenal in the cup competitions, while he also provided an assist for his country against France in a friendly.

He has shown great potential, both at club and international level, as a young midfielder and Leeds could be looking to help him develop before taking the next step in his career.

When you see Mateus Fernandes’ boys being sold by West Ham United for £85m, it’s clear that the Whites have the potential to make a big buck if they can land a quality young player like Charles.

Leeds United player who could suffer from the signing of Shea Charles

Bringing the Southampton star to Elland Road may not be good news for everyone in West Yorkshire, however, as it could spell the end of one of Farke’s current options in that position.

Anton Stach, Ao Tanaka, and Ethan Ampadu finished the campaign rotating as the German manager’s first choice midfield two or three, while Sean Longstaff found himself on the sidelines.

The club paid £12m to sign the Englishman from Newcastle United last summer to give him Premier League experience, but he did not enjoy the end of the season.

Longstaff has been a substitute in four of the last 10 Premier League games and his last start in this division was back in November in a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old star, who turns 29 in October, finished the season with 10 appearances, all in the first four months, with two goals and a team-high two assists.

Tanaka, Stach, Ampadu, and Ilia Gruev all started at least 14 times in midfield in the Premier League for Leeds, speaking when Longstaff was in good form at Elland Road.

Charles’ arrival, for more than £23m, would see him move further down the chain, which could put his future at the club in doubt.

Given that he has already struggled for game time at the current level of competition for places, throwing an impressive youngster like Charles into the mix could leave Longstaff struggling to make matchday squads, let alone the starting XI.

That is why this signing could be the beginning of the end for the former Newcastle man at Elland Road, as his first season at the club does not suggest he could be first choice for Farke next term.

With no European football to offer players, at the moment, Leeds may have a decision to take Longstaff, and could be one to test next January after seeing how the first half of the season plays out.