Shea Charles can be Leeds catalyst as Daniel Farke's transfer plan accelerates - view

Daniel Farke could be pushing Leeds United to bolster their squad with Southampton midfielder Shea Charles in the ongoing transfer window.

The 22-year-old could join the Whites this summer and it may be part of the German manager's broader ambitions at the club.

After securing Premier League safety, the 49-year-old manager hasn't been shy about seeing ambition from 49ers Enterprises in terms of recruitment to take the club forward.

Charles' possible arrival at Elland Road could potentially indicate a shift back to Farke's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, which arguably suits his modern approach to the game.

While the West Yorkshire outfit showed defensive stability after switching to the 3-5-2 formation midway through the season, it certainly took the edge off their attack.

The 22-year-old Saints midfielder is more of a deep-lying playmaker than a box-to-box option like Ao Tanaka and Anton Stach, and the youngster could be a catalyst for the German manager to return to the roots of his footballing philosophy.

Leeds United transfer latest on Shea Charles

Southampton have rejected Leeds' opening £20million bid for Charles, who moved to St Mary's Stadium from Manchester City for a £15m package deal in 2023.

The midfielder was a key player for the Saints in their bid to win Premier League promotion this season, scoring in the Championship play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough, but the Spygate controversy affected the end result.

According to the YEP on 22 June, talks between the Whites and Southampton are continuing to find a solution for the youngster's transfer.

The West Yorkshire outfit view the Hampshire club's rejection as a part of the ongoing process rather than the end of their pursuit of Charles.

Elland Road confidence emerges in Shea Charles pursuit

Sources told Football Insider on 22 June that Leeds were optimistic about signing Charles from Southampton, with both teams willing to make the deal happen.

As things stand, the young midfielder will enter the final year of his contract with the Saints at the end of June and they risk losing him as a free agent at the end of next season.

The West Yorkshire outfit's top-flight status puts them in a position to tempt the former Man City ace to Elland Road in the coming weeks.