The Daily Mail has reported that Borussia Dortmund wanted to sign the now-Southampton-bound Shea Charles from Manchester City.
On Friday the news broke that 19-year-old midfielder Charles is close to joining recently relegated Southampton.
The Athletic reported that City will receive a £10.5m fee for the academy graduate, although that could rise to £15m through add-ons.
The treble winners will retain a sell-on clause, a buy-back clause and matching bid rights too.
Borussia Dortmund were keen on Charles
The likes of Leeds, Leicester and Schalke were all linked with Charles, but Borussia Dortmund were the biggest name to take an interest in the youngster (Daily Mail).
The German giants have earned something of a reputation for signing young talents and developing them, particularly from City.
Dortmund prised a 17-year-old Jadon Sancho away from City in 2017, giving him the platform he needed to flourish and earn a £73m move to Manchester United four years later.
The Bundesliga side also persuaded Jayden Braaf to make the switch, while this summer they have been linked with a move for Cole Palmer.
Jude Bellingham is the latest example of a young British player using Dortmund as a springboard, following his £88.5m move to Real Madrid.
It appears that Charles won’t be taking a similar path, as the Northern Ireland international looks set to join Southampton.
MCN view: Southampton is an appealing option
While moving abroad can be hugely beneficial for a young player’s personal and professional development, joining Southampton is not a bad option either.
Although Southampton’s raid of City’s youth ranks last summer didn’t prove a successful strategy for keeping them in the Premier League, both Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia impressed during their first seasons playing top-level football.
Lavia has been linked with big-money moves to Liverpool and Chelsea this summer.
With City’s former academy director Jason Wilcox now Southampton’s director of football and so many ex-City youngsters at the club, it’s easy to see why talents like Charles feel comfortable making the move to the south coast.
Charles could soon be joined by young City winger Carlos Borges, who The Athletic say Southampton are interested in.
