Shea Charles is set to undergo a medical at Fulham on Monday after a deal that could reach £30million was agreed with Southampton.

The 22-year-old is set to sign a five-year contract at the west London club in a move that would make him the most expensive Northern Irish footballer ever.

Fulham will pay an upfront fee of £26m with a further £4m in performance-related add-ons also included.

Earlier this summer, the Championship club had rejected multiple bids, exceeding £20m, from Leeds United for the central midfielder.

Charles joined Southampton from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 and has made 76 appearances for the Championship club, either side of a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in the 2024-25 season.

The 2025-26 campaign saw the midfielder score six times and provide two assists across 38 matches as Southampton reached the second tier’s play-offs with a fourth-place finish.

Charles scored in the semi-final victory against Middlesbrough before Tonda Eckert’s side was expelled from contention by the English Football League for attempting to spy on their opponents.

The midfielder is the brother of Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who re-joined Manchester City earlier this summer from Sheffield Wednesday and has subsequently moved on loan to Queens Park Rangers.

Earlier this week, Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic completed a medical ahead of joining newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Fulham have already completed the signings of striker Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid for a combined fee of €50m (£42.9m; $57.4m).

They were the first arrivals of the summer under former Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Marco Silva in the Fulham dugout this summer.

Fulham sold Issa Diop, another Morocco international centre-back, to Ipswich Town earlier this summer, while Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez also left Craven Cottage upon the expiry of their contracts — subsequently joining Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively.

The Seattle Mariners take a three-game losing run into a home matchup versus the Tampa Bay Rays, at 4:10 p.m. ET on Sunday. Emerson Hancock (6-6, 3.33 ERA) will start for the Mariners, who are 56-62 this season and third in the AL West. Ian Seymour (8-3, 4.27 ERA) is the expected starter for the Rays, who are 70-46 and first in the AL East.

How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs. Seattle Mariners

Rays vs. Mariners odds

• Favorite Moneyline: Mariners -139
• Underdog Moneyline: Rays +115
• Total: 8.5
• Total Over Odds: -110
• Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Mariners

Luke Raley: 10 Day IL (Elbow), J.P. Crawford: 10 Day IL (Wrist), Matt Brash: 15 Day IL (Lat), Cole Wilcox: 15 Day IL (Oblique), Cooper Criswell: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Will Wilson: 60 Day IL (Thumb), Logan Evans: 60 Day IL (Arm), Carlos Vargas: 60 Day IL (Lat)

Rays

Ben Williamson: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Cole Sulser: 15 Day IL (Back), Shane McClanahan: 15 Day IL (Back), Jake Fraley: 60 Day IL (Groin), Manuel Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Pepiot: 60 Day IL (Hip), Gavin Lux: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jon Heasley: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Edwin Uceta: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Griffin Jax: day-to-day (Elbow)

Stats to know

• Randy Arozarena is hitting for a .279 BA, .372 OBP and .447 SLG with a 20.9% strikeout rate and a 9.6% walk rate. His OPS is .819 and he has scored 73 runs. In 470 plate appearances, he has hit 14 home runs and driven in 49 runs. Arozarena has been crafty on the base paths, recording 20 steals on 26 attempts.
• In 470 plate appearances, Josh Naylor is hitting .262/.326/.372 with a .699 OPS and 23 steals on 28 attempts. He has hit 10 long balls, driven in 42 runs and scored 44 times.
• Junior Caminero has hit 33 home runs this season, which ranks 2nd in MLB. He has also tallied 71 RBIs (14th in MLB) and has scored 70 runs. In 506 plate appearances, he has recorded a .280 BA, .372 OBP and .551 SLG with a 12.5% walk rate and an 18.4% strikeout rate.
• In 490 plate appearances, Yandy Diaz has posted a 14.9% strikeout rate and an 8.8% walk rate while slashing .293/.365/.447 with 15 home runs, 64 RBIs and 61 runs scored.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images