Southampton confirm £15million signing of Shea Charles from Man City

Manchester City youngster Shea Charles has joined Southampton in a deal worth up to £15million.

The Championship club will pay an initial fee of £10.5million, with performance-related add-ons making up the extra £4.5million. The 19-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the Saints.

City are understood to have included a sell-on clause, buy-back clause and matching bid rights in the deal for their former under-21s captain.

“I feel like the way the manager’s going to play will really suit me, and obviously some of the players that I know (from City) have done very well here last season in the Premier League, so there’s no reason why I can’t come in and do similar things," Charles told Southampton's official website of the move.

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“He (Russell Martin) called me the other night, explaining that it will be good for me with the possession-based football that he looks to play, and I just can’t wait.

“I feel like the main thing is promotion for this club, because we belong in the Premier League. I can’t wait to start pre-season and get into the Championship games.”

Charles made just one senior appearance for City, coming off the bench in the final-day defeat to Brentford in May. The midfielder captained the EDS side to a third consecutive Premier League 2 title last season, making 26 league appearances in the process.

He is the latest of several City youth talents to join Southampton, following the likes of Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia, Samuel Edozie and Juan Larios who all moved to St Mary's last summer.