Report: Arsenal Makes Surprise Bid for Southampton Wonderkid

Arsenal are close to securing a surprising wonderkid signing, as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad even more.

Excluding loans, the Gunners only added three major signings over the summer, in one of the club's more modest transfer windows of late. Riccardo Calafiori was the headline acquisition from Bologna, with Mikel Merino signing from Real Sociedad and David Raya's loan move from Brentford being turned permanent.

It is understood that Arsenal are still looking for reinforcements, though – and with sporting director Edu Gaspar departing, Mikel Arteta could have more of a say in the transfer window.

Arsenal in for top Southampton starlet

Edu's exit means that things are changing at Arsenal. Arteta has the title of ‘manager’ at the club, rather than ‘head coach’, highlighting his role in the backroom team as well as on the training pitch.

Arsenal have made major efforts to integrate youth under the Basque boss – ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now – this season handing minutes to Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly from the club's Hale End academy.

But now, one leftfield move has presented itself, too. Spanish outlet Fichajes says that Arsenal are chasing Southampton star, Shea Charles, currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

The 21-year-old is said to be “in line with Mikel Arteta's vision”, with the report noting that his “style of play, marked by a perfect balance between defence and creation, makes him a highly sought-after, complete midfielder.”

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Arsenal have moved away from signing younger talents in recent seasons to buying more established stars to improve the ceiling of the squad rather than the floor – so a move for Charles would be an intriguing one. But as Arteta's influence potentially grows at Arsenal, the transfer strategy may shift.

The manager was said to be the driving factor in signing Calafiori over the summer, as per the Athletic, with the Italian potentially one of many Arteta-led signings post-Edu.

Who is Shea Charles?

Shea Charles is a 21-year-old midfielder who joined Southampton from Manchester City's academy in 2023. Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, centre-back or full-back, the youngster is seen as a technical athlete, and is currently garnering minutes in the Championship.

Perhaps most interestingly for Arsenal, however, is that Charles is already seen as a major leader on the field. The youngster has already captained Northern Ireland, with manager Michael O'Neill stating that, “Shea is a player who since we put him in the team has taken an enormous amount of responsibility.”

In FourFourTwo's opinion, Charles is heading for the very top of the game, with his mentality perhaps the driving factor in Arteta's interest. The Gunners boss was enamoured with Calafiori for his “aura”, and it's likely that he sees a similar thing in Charles, along with his obvious ability in midfield.

Charles is worth €10 million, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest this weekend when Premier League action returns.