Southampton FC will not regret signing £10.5m star – He could shine under Danny Rohl next season

As they prepare for a season back in the Championship, there is a lot of work to do for Southampton but one bit of business they did a couple of years ago could well be a masterstroke ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Southampton avoided becoming the joint worst record in Premier League history as they shared a goalless draw with Manchester City to earn their 12th point of the top-flight season in what was their 35th match day of the campaign.

With former Stockport County boss Simon Rusk at the helm on an interim basis for a second stint this season following the sackings of both Russell Martin and Ivan Juric, it would be fair to suggest that the Saints have endured something of a nightmare.

However, as they prepare for a return to the second-tier, they will be emboldened by the strength of their squad relative to the level and the fact they could have accidentally stumbled upon an ideal pairing.

With Northern Ireland international Shea Charles set to return to St Mary’s following his loan spell away at Sheffield Wednesday, it could well be that he is once again partnered with Wednesday boss Danny Rohl.

Charles & Rohl surrounded by better quality

21-year-old Manchester-born Charles came through the academy at Manchester City and did make a Premier League appearance for the Cityzens before his sale to Saints for a fee believed to be in the region of £10.5 million in the summer of 2023.

He played 38 times for Martin’s Southampton during the 2023/24 campaign as they eventually won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, but he did make only 15 starts.

He was loaned out to Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2024 and became a key man for the Owls, winning their 2024/25 Player of the Year award.

A tough-tackling defensive midfielder, Charles is perhaps exactly what Saints have been missing in what has often been quite a weak midfield showing in the Premier League and a reunion with Rohl, who clearly knows just how to get the best out of him, would appear an ideal if accidental fit for the south coast club.

Rohl and Charles eventually slipped away from the top six and the play-off places at Hillsborough this season, but, surrounded by a better quality of player, they would be viewed as people who should be competing at the very top end of the division.

Work to do for Saints this summer

Southampton have been heavily linked with the appointment of Wednesday’s 36-year-old German coach Rohl as far back as March, with their relegation confirmed just a couple of weeks later.

They have had more than enough time to prepare for this summer and for next season so a decision on their manager should be imminent – and there are plenty of reasons to believe that Rohl would be an excellent appointment.

One of the biggest reasons would have to be the relationship between him and Charles, a player that has been so good at Hillsborough that Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri controversially announced his recall by Southampton in January before he quickly rejoined the South Yorkshire outfit.

Charles’ performances this season were of such high quality that he even reportedly caught the attention of Arsenal and having a player with the pedigree and level already on their books means Saints will be very content with the outlay they made for him a couple of years ago. They essentially have a ready-made stalwart of a strong Championship team already on their books before their business has even begun.

Southampton spent a not insignificant sum on Charles and, whilst a play-off winner with the club as a fringe player a couple of years ago, he could well be the beating heart of Southampton’s midfield next year.