It’s safe to say that Shea Charles’ loan move to Sheffield Wednesday has been a big success so far, but it’s unclear how much longer he will be at the club.
Sheffield Wednesday secured the loan signing of Shea Charles over the summer, and he’s gone on to form a brilliant partnership with Barry Bannan in the middle of the park.
There were fears, though, that Charles’ impressive displays in the Championship could see Southampton looking to bring him back early.
The last we heard, Southampton were happy with how Charles was doing at Sheffield Wednesday, and were not looking to recall the midfielder.
Shea Charles himself has insisted he is enjoying himself at Sheffield Wednesday, and suggested that, as far as he knows, he is going nowhere.
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Shea Charles almost certain to stay with Sheffield Wednesday
Now, Southampton boss, Russell Martin, has offered further clarification on the matter, and it sounds like Charles will indeed be left to develop at Hillsborough this season, unless something big changes at Southampton.
Martin told the Southampton Daily Echo: “I think Shea went on loan to do exactly what he’s done, to play every single week, rather than to be a squad player here. It was his first full season last year, we wanted him to build on that. We’re really pleased with his development.
“It’s gone exactly how we wanted it to, for him and for us. It’s gone really well and it continues to go really well. We have another month to assess things. We have an option to recall Shea if we choose to.
“But we’re not going to call him back unless he’s going to come back in and play and impact the squad and be a big player for us. He needs to keep doing what he’s doing. We’ll continue to assess our situation and what we need but he’s never not been in our plans.”
Sheffield Wednesday is the best place for Shea Charles right now
With Southampton struggling in the Premier League, there is always a chance they will look at a player like Charles doing so well right now, and wonder whether he might be able to give them a boost.
But, for the player himself, surely sticking around at Sheffield Wednesday, where he is a guaranteed starter and is flourishing in the Championship, would be better than fighting for his place in a team battling relegation.
| Statistics | Shea Charles 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 15 |
| Minutes played | 1,296 |
| Goals and assists | 2 |
| Pass completion | 78.2% |
| Tackles won per 90 | 1.94 |
| Progressive carries per 90 | 1.25 |
The fans at Wednesday adore him, he’s got a great connection with Bannan in midfield, and as a young player, the upheaval of leaving S6 in January could really hinder Charles’ long-term development.
Sadly, history suggests Sheffield Wednesday would always struggle to keep a player like Shea Charles, and he’s clearly destined for the very top. But, hopefully his stay in Sheffield lasts a little while longer still.