Charlton Athletic linked with ex Premier League star after 'Olimpico' goal

Nathan Jones could use his Welsh allegiances to broker a transfer for the ex Leicester City and Rangers man.

Charlton Athletic are reported to be battling Championship rivals over a potential transfer swoop for former Premier League midfielder Tom Lawrence.

Tom Lawrence has had an emphatic start to life Down Under. | Getty Images

placeholder image — Tom Lawrence has had an emphatic start to life Down Under. | Getty Images

The 32-year-old only signed for Australian A-League side Perth Glory in October, having left Scottish giants Rangers. However, a head-turning run of form has seen the player linked with a return to the UK.

Lawrence has five goals and two assists in his first nine appearances for Perth Glory. Those include an emphatic hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Melbourne City and a goal and assist against Central Coast last time out. The goal in that latter match was labelled an ‘Olimpico’ finish as he netted straight from a corner kick.

Charlton Athletic linked with ex Leicester City midfielder

Speaking after the match, Central Coast head coach Warren Moon heaped praise on the midfielder. He said: "He was the best player in the park. Simple as that. He was too good for us tonight."

The Mail reports that the Addicks join Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers in monitoring Lawrence’s situation with a January transfer on the cards. A move to Norwich City could see the player reunited with former Rangers manager Philippe Clement, while Nathan Jones’ Welsh connection is labelled a ‘factor’ that could help Charlton Athletic.

Perth Glory are understandably said to be reluctant to let the player leave with a longer-term contract mooted. However, it’s believed that the Australian side would struggle to turn down a sizeable bid from a Championship club. There is also said to be interest from A-League rivals Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory.

Perth Glory transfer fee touted for Tom Lawrence

It’s added that an offer of just £130,000 could be enough to convince Perth Glory to sell, which is an attractive proposition for Championship clubs. Lawrence has made 264 second tier appearances during his career with time at Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City, Ipswich Town and Derby County.

The midfielder also spent three years on the books at Leicester City between 2014 and 2017, initially signed from Manchester United - where he had come through the academy - after the Foxes achieved promotion to the top flight in 2014.

Lawrence only ever made four Premier League appearances but did feature against Aston Villa, Stoke City and Hull City twice. The midfielder would also come with Europa League experience thanks to his time at Rangers.

The Welshman netted three goals in 10 Europa League outings and would bring a versatility to the Charlton Athletic squad that could see him deployed in deeper or more advanced midfield roles.

In other news, Charlton Athletic 'poised' to beat Leicester City and Ipswich Town to sign Championship bagsman.