Southampton are planning to stay in the Championship after their play-off dreams were derailed by scandal.

The Saints were expelled from the competition as a result of the spying scandal that enveloped the club.

Middlesbrough had accused their promotion rival of filming a pre-match training session prior to the first leg of their play-off clash, and they later admitted to a total of three instances of breaching the EFL’s rules on spying.

While Tonda Eckert’s side defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 in the semi-final, they were not able to face Hull City in the final because they had been removed by the EFL prior to the journey to Wembley Stadium.

As the fallout from the scandal rumbles on, the Hampshire outfit will be planning for a potentially busy summer transfer window.

Southampton will be eager to contend for promotion again next season, even if they will have to start from nothing after receiving a four-point punishment penalty.

Everton are interested in signing Shea Charles from Southampton

It has been reported by The Athletic that Everton ‘have followed’ Shea Charles.

The Toffees have emerged as the front-runners for Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, but are also keeping tabs on the Southampton midfielder as well, it seems.

David Moyes hopes to bolster his midfield options this summer after the Merseyside club finished 13th in the table.

Charles has surfaced as a potential possibility, with the club facing stiff competition in the hunt to sign Hackney.

The Southampton star was a key player as Eckert’s side rose from the bottom half of the Championship to fourth in the table.

The 22-year-old appeared in 31 games during the regular season, scoring three goals and assisting twice, as well as scoring the winner in the play-off semi-final against Borough.

Charles joined the Saints from Manchester City during the summer transfer window in 2023, and he has made 63 league appearances for the club since.

The Northern Ireland international has a contract until June 2027, meaning he is now into the final 12 months of his current deal.

This could force Southampton to sell in the upcoming transfer window in order to prevent losing him for free next year.

Manchester United has also been linked with a transfer for Charles, who was signed by Southampton under the Red Devils’ current sporting director Jason Wilcox.

Southampton will struggle to keep hold of Shea Charles.

Charles has impressed this season, so it’s not unexpected that Premier League clubs are interested in the 22-year-old.

Given he is in the final year of his contract, this could be Southampton’s last chance to cash in on the player and earn a solid fee for his exit.

Everton would be an intriguing step up for the Northern Irishman since they would provide a clear path to regular Premier League action, whereas he would most likely be a rotation option at places like Old Trafford.

Working for someone with Moyes’ experience might also be pretty enticing, but any deal could rely on whether the top flight team can win Hackney’s signature first.