Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are interested in Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, a 22-year-old Northern Irish international who is attracting interest from several Premier League clubs. This season in the Championship, he has made 25 appearances, scored 2 goals, and provided 2 assists, contributing to his team's effort to secure a playoff place. It is thought that Southampton may need to gain promotion to keep their best players. According to former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who spoke to Football Insider, Crystal Palace is the most recent club to be closely monitoring Charles's performances. Brown also explained to the outlet that Palace is seeking midfield reinforcements due to the possibility of several players leaving, citing that Daichi Kamada's contract is expiring and Jefferson Lerma's deal is also nearing its end. He further suggested to Football Insider that because multiple clubs are pursuing the player, Southampton could encourage competitive offers and potentially double his price. Brown cautioned that both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest might fail to sign the player if they are unwilling to meet the asking price. Nottingham Forest is expected to increase its efforts to find a midfielder and has substantial funds available, having previously made unsuccessful bids of up to £25 million for other targets. Charles has 33 caps and 1 goal for Northern Ireland. He joined Southampton from Manchester City U21 in July 2023 for a reported fee of €12.3 million, and his contract is valid until 2027. In April 2026, it was reported that Southampton had set a £20 million asking price for the player. His market value, according to Transfermarkt, is €12.00m.