The decision to sign Shea Charles on loan is looking more and more like a masterstroke from Sheffield Wednesday with every game the youngster plays, but fans should enjoy it while it lasts, as he’s unlikely to stick around beyond this season.
One of the highlights of the season so far for Sheffield Wednesday has been the partnership between captain, Barry Bannan, and his midfield colleague, Shea Charles.
Among the many summer signings Sheffield Wednesday made, Charles has undoubtedly been the most effective, and his discipline in the middle of the park has afforded Bannan more freedom to exert his creative influence higher up the pitch.
But, for any Sheffield Wednesday fans dreaming of a future where Charles leaves Southampton and joins the Owls permanently, we’re afraid to say that history suggests the 21-year-old will not be around much longer.
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Ross Barkley was too good for the Championship
One only has to look back at the impact a young Ross Barkley made at Hillsborough when he joined the Owls on loan from Everton back in 2012 to realise that the writing is on the wall for Wednesday’s affiliation with Charles.
Sometimes, a loan move is made with the intention, or at least the possibility, that the player in question will end up joining his new club permanently. More often than not, though, it is a means to an end for his parent club to ensure the player’s development continues in the right direction.
For Barkley at that time, it was very much the latter. I distinctly remember being at Hillsborough and seeing the young midfielder in a Wednesday shirt and immediately being blown away by how talented he was.
He was only 18-years-old at the time, but Barkley was running rings around experienced Championship players, demanding the ball from his teammates, and absolutely pulling the strings from the middle of the park.
Barkley was, very clearly, a cut above the rest of his teammates and indeed, pretty much every player in that division, and it wasn’t long before he was back at Everton, before moving on to Chelsea and making his breakthrough with the England national squad.
Wednesday had no hope of keeping hold of a player of that calibre, and the same applies to Shea Charles now.
Shea Charles can be a top Premier League player
In truth, the Owls are incredibly lucky to have even managed to get Charles on loan this season. The former Manchester City youth player was sent out on loan by Southampton, but with the Saints struggling in the top flight, they may be wishing they still had him.
His performances have been mightily consistent and very, very impressive since arriving in S6, and the fact he was recently made captain of the Northern Ireland national team proves Shea Charles is too good to be playing in the Championship.
| Statistic | Shea Charles 2024/25 (Championship) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 12 |
| Minutes played | 1,030 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Key passes per 90 | 0.7 |
| Pass success rate | 79.7% |
| Tackles per 90 | 3.1 |
To be honest, he’s probably too good for Southampton, too. If the South Coast club get relegated this season, they will likely build their team — or at least their midfield — around Charles, and he would no doubt prove once again that he is a top quality talent.
One day, we will almost certainly see Charles doing his thing in the Premier League, and again, just like with Ross Barkley before him, Sheffield Wednesday fans will be wondering how they ever had a player like that on their books.