Shea Charles is too good for Fulham, he's destined for double-your-money move
Shea Charles is surely not set to hang about at Fulham for long after further proving his quality on international duty for Northern Ireland.
Charles was the subject of widespread interest from numerous Premier League clubs in the summer after a strong season at Southampton.
The 22-year-old always looked destined to leave St Mary's after firing them to the play-off final but having his promotion hopes dashed by their spygate scandal.
Fulham won the race for his services with a £30million deal, and he has been a regular in Alvaro Arbeloa's side since the start of the campaign.
Charles' lofty potential was clear for all to see as he shone against Georgia for Northern Ireland on Monday to round off a successful international break from an individual standpoint.
He has been key on the big stage for his country over the last few weeks and is surely destined to join a bigger club than Fulham in the near future, and most likely for double the fee that the London club recently paid.
Shea Charles will be on top clubs' radars after successful Northern Ireland displays
Charles has impressed in the early stages of the season for Fulham, making seven appearances and starting in each of their last three league games.
He has been a regular at international level for several years already, but has put in arguably his finest string of Northern Ireland displays in this international break.
His winner against Georgia on 25 September was followed by further impressive performances against Hungary and Ukraine.
Michael O'Neill's men ended the break on top of their Nations League group with a 0-0 draw against Georgia on Monday, as Charles anchored the midfield once again.
The 22-year-old, who captained his country, created two chances (one big chance), made five passes into the final third and covered the most distance (11km) of any player on the night.
He also made more tackles (6), won more ground duels (13) and drew more fouls (5) than any other player too.
It was a stunning performance that many NI fans will surely look at as one of the finest from an individual player in recent memory.
Charles is already playing at the right level as he strives for regular PL minutes for a competitive Fulham team, but all the signs point to him being on his way out of Craven Cottage to a club near the top of the table before long.
Michael O'Neill's praise of Charles proves his quality
O'Neill has effectively built his side around Charles in recent years, with the decision to bed him into the team at such a young age paying dividends as Northern Ireland take some huge strides towards success.
The Green and White Army boss has not held back in his praise of the Fulham star, with particular quotes from last month proving just how far he has come.
After their win over Georgia in which Charles scored the winner, he said: "Shea was colossal. Not just on the ball, but I felt physically, his ability to step past people, the amount of times he was fouled and the referee, for some reason, didn't want to produce a card despite the number of fouls on him. I thought he was fabulous."
Fulham fans should enjoy the 22-year-old while he is at their club, because it may not be for long as he goes from strength to strength.