Derby County and Charlton Athletic in transfer race to sign Fulham player | OneFootball

Luke Harris is of interest to the Championship duo

Charlton Athletic and Derby County are both interested in plotting transfer moves for Fulham midfielder, Luke Harris.

That is according to an update from Dharmesh Sheth on Sky Sports' Transfer Centre Live Blog (18:19 - 09/07), with the aforementioned duo of Championship sides already making waves in the early stages of the current transfer window heading into the new season which gets underway in less than a month.

Charlton are looking to consolidate back in the second tier having regained their status in the division for the first time since suffering relegation to League One in 2020, with Nathan Jones already conducting smart transfer business in South London heading into the upcoming campaign.

John Eustace is preparing for his first pre-season in charge at Pride Park after moving from divisional rivals, Blackburn Rovers, in February, with the Rams looking to make strong progress up the division after preserving their status after promotion on the final day of last season, finishing three places and one point above Luton Town, who were relegated on goal difference.

Charlton Athletic and Derby County interested in transfer move for Fulham midfielder Luke Harris

Harris' young career has been intriguing to say the least thus far, having progressed through the ranks at Craven Cottage before making his Premier League breakthrough in the Autumn of 2022, making his top-flight bow with a substitute cameo in a 3-0 success against Aston Villa, before also featuring against Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

The Jersey-born, Welsh youth international gained his first taste of regular football in League One with Exeter City during the second half of the 2023/24 season, scoring four times and registering two assists, leaving a strong impression on Grecians boss, Gary Caldwell.

Harris then made a major loan move to Birmingham City last summer. However, whilst Blues went on to break several records - including the EFL-high points haul - the 20-year-old struggled for regular minutes behind the likes of Tomoki Iwata and Seung-Ho Paik, with only 10 of his 29 League One appearances coming from the starting lineup under Chris Davies.

After making 36 overall appearances and scoring four times, it was reported by Birmingham Live in May that the likelihood of a permanent move to the West Midlands for the playmaker would be "unlikely" although such circumstances weren't entirely ruled out at the time.

However, it has now been reported by Sky Sports that the midfielder could be facing off against his former loan club in the coming months as Charlton and Derby plot respective transfer moves for his services.

Harris is currently out-of-contract in West London next summer having signed his most recent extension in 2023, although there is an option for Marco Silva to extend the deal until 2027, meaning the current window could represent the best chance of maximising profit on their academy graduate.

A Championship move would be intriguing for Luke Harris

Harris' potential has been well-documented previously, with it being reported in 2022 that Fulham's London rivals, Chelsea, were plotting a stunning £30m move for his services.

The midfielder has endured mixed fortunes in League One, having impressed at Exeter and on occasions at St. Andrew's, and the chance to prove his worth in the second tier for the first time in his career would be an exciting proposition.

Jones and Eustace both have strong track records when it comes to developing youngsters, and factors surrounding a move to either club could sway Harris' thoughts. A move to Charlton means not having to relocate, whilst Eustace was also the man who initially brought his former teammate, Jay Stansfield, to Birmingham, and having the striker as a reference point for how the 45-year-old could have such a positive influence on his development could come in handy.