Shea Charles outlines Sheffield Wednesday stance amid Southampton, Arsenal talk | OneFootball

On-loan Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles has opened up about his future amid speculation he could be recalled by Southampton.

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles has confirmed that he is keen to stay at the club for the rest of the season amid speculation that he could be recalled by Southampton in January.

Charles made the move to Southampton from Manchester City for an initial fee of £10.5 million last summer, with the deal potentially being worth up to £15 million eventually, and he made 38 appearances in all competitions last season to help Russell Martin's side to promotion from the Championship.

However, Charles was deemed surplus to requirements in the Premier League, and he joined Wednesday on a season-long loan in August, with Martin describing it as a "brilliant loan move" for the Northern Ireland international.

Charles has made a huge impact at Hillsborough over the last few months, and he has started every game for Danny Rohl's side since his arrival, scoring one goal and providing one assist in 14 appearances so far.

Speaking in October, Rohl raised fears that Charles could be recalled by the Saints in January, telling The Star: "Hopefully we can keep him the whole season - you never know what happens if he performs in this direction. For me, he is a great player and you see what it means when you bring quality players in."

It has even been claimed that Premier League giants Arsenal are keeping tabs on Charles as a potential future signing, and while Rohl did not comment on those rumours specifically, he said that the speculation around the 21-year-old's future was "a result of his performance on the pitch".

Shea Charles opens up on Sheffield Wednesday future

As talk about a potential recall by Southampton in January continues to gather pace, Charles revealed that he is enjoying his time at Hillsborough, and he confirmed that he would be open to staying with Wednesday for the rest of the season.

"That was part of the reason I wanted to come here," Charles told The Star.

"It’s a big club, huge fan base and it’s really important for me to get a full season under my belt, starting games. The Championship is so different to playing under-21 football for example, this is my second year in the Championship but this time around I’m playing an awful lot more football and that’s been really important for me.

"So far it’s everything I wanted it to be. I’ve started every game, 14 games now, so I’m really happy with how things are going at the moment.

"A few people speak to me every now and then, every few games. I’m not quite sure how it all works because this is my first loan in football so the process is new. One hundred per cent (open to staying for full season), it’s started so well so I don’t see any reason to not want to stay."

In a further boost for the Owls' hopes of keeping hold of Charles, The Star claim that while Southampton are closely monitoring the midfielder's progress, "all parties remain keen on ensuring Charles’ stint in South Yorkshire lasts across a full season".

Sheffield Wednesday will be encouraged by Shea Charles comments

The final decision on whether Charles will be recalled lies with Southampton rather than the player himself, but the fact that he is happy to remain at Hillsborough for the rest of the season is a huge positive for Wednesday.

There is no doubt that it has been an excellent loan move for Charles so far, and it is much more beneficial for him to be playing regular football in the Championship than sitting on the bench in the Premier League.

With that in mind, it would make sense for the Saints to allow Charles to remain with the Owls until the summer, but with the club currently sitting bottom of the top flight, they could soon decide to part company with Martin, and a managerial change at St Mary's could have a big impact on Charles' situation.

Having become Northern Ireland's youngest ever captain earlier this month, Charles looks set for an incredibly bright future in the game, and Wednesday will be desperately hoping that his loan spell is not cut short in January.