Door left ajar for United as rival’s bid for international captain knocked back – Ben Jacobs

Manchester United are preparing for a major summer midfield rebuild. Midfield overhaul With Brazilian Casemiro leaving the club and sealing a move to Inter Miami, there is already a significant hole in the middle of the park to fill. The disappointing Manuel Ugarte is also likely to leave this summer, with the club reducing his price to seal an exit. The Red Devils have also agreed a fee with Atalanta for Ederson to bolster their midfield options. The club wants more, though, as they are currently locked in negotiations with West Ham United over Mateus Fernandes. AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni are also two players under consideration by Michael Carrick’s side. The Red Devils have also been linked to Southampton’s Shea Charles, but other teams appear to be advancing on a deal. Leeds bid It was reported recently that United’s rivals Leeds had made a bid of £20 million for the Northern Ireland star. Nonetheless, journalist Ben Jacobs has affirmed that this has not been enough to tempt the Saints into a deal. Providing an update to his own post on X over Leeds’ bid, he reported, “Leeds bid was rejected. However, talks are ongoing.” He also clarified, “Southampton’s valuation of Shea Charles is significantly higher” than the £20 million that was offered. Leeds bid was rejected. However, talks are ongoing. Southampton’s valuation of Shea Charles is significantly higher.😇 https://t.co/2By47ny0k0 — Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 22, 2026 It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will attempt to get involved in the discussions for the midfielder or continue to work on other targets as June comes to an end in just over a week. Charles has played 76 times for Southampton, scoring six times. He has also represented his nation 35 times, captaining them on occasion. Shea Charles 25/26 season stats Games playedGoalsAssistsMins played 38622469 Feature image Leila Coker via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.