Charlton Athletic sign West Ham veteran and young Premier League 'beast' in dream XI if transfer rumours true
Nathan Jones wants to keep moving up the leagues with Charlton Athletic and that could point to a busy summer transfer window.
Charlton Athletic went about their summer business early ahead of the League One season last summer and that approach paid dividends with a campaign that ended in promotion to the Championship.
The Addicks must now look to recruit and build a team capable of cementing a place in the second tier. That’s certainly the mission for manager Nathan Jones, who harbours Premier League ambitions for the club.
Following promotion via the League One play-off final, he said: “Absolutely. I didn’t drop to League One to become a League One manager, I dropped to League One to manage Charlton and I believe with a fair wind, God’s will and a hell of a lot of work we can start to build something.
“We’ve had a really meteoric rise from 19th in League One to getting promoted but first and foremost we had to finish 4th in the league. That took an extra 31 points from what we had last year, 10 wins and a draw, that’s a big shift in terms of everything with clean sheets and the structure we built. We’ve earned the right now to be a Championship football club. Now the work starts tenfold because we go into an unforgiving environment. We land on a different planet and we have to be competitive.”
There’s been no shortage of Charlton Athletic transfer rumours so far this summer and LondonWorld looks at how the Addicks starting XI could look next term should those links prove true.
Charlton Athletic XI if transfer rumours come true
Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski
Will Mannion was a regular in the Charlton Athletic starting XI last season but did lose his number one spot to Ashley Maynard-Brewer after an injury over the winter. Nathan Jones isn’t short of goalkeeping options and has been linked with adding a teenage shot-stopper to his squad, but there is also a more head-turning rumours.
Richard Cawley has reported that the Addicks were offered West Ham veteran Fabianski on a free transfer as he leaves the London Stadium. It’s thought that Charlton Athletic will say no, but those rumours don’t appear to be going away quite yet.
Defenders: Odeluga Offiah, Amadou Mbengue, Lloyd Jones, Macaulay Gillesphey, Josh Edwards
Thierry Small did not sign the contract offered him by Charlton Athletic this summer, which came as a blow to the London outfit. The promising 20-year-old has instead joined Championship rivals Preston North End.
Brighton ‘beast’ Odeluga Offiah can play at full-back and has been linked with the Addicks, as well as QPR. Meanwhile, Reading centre-back Amadou Mbengue is also being chased by Charlton Athletic and several Championship rivals.
The Addicks plot Leyton Orient and Peterborough United raids
Midfielders: Ethan Galbraith, Conor Coventry, Greg Docherty
Strikers: Matty Godden, Malik Mothersille
The Standard carried reports last week that Charlton Athletic had submitted a £1.5 million bid for Leyton Orient midfielder Ethan Galbraith, who is set to be courted this summer after a head-turning campaign in the third tier. After a strong opening bid, it remains to be seen whether the Addicks send another offer.
Added firepower up top could come thanks to Peterborough United bagsman Malik Mothersille. The 21-year-old, who scored 16 goals and picked up 10 assists across all competitions last term, is in the final 12 months of his contract. Football League World has carried reports of a potential Charlton Athletic swoop.
In other news, Ex Charlton Athletic and West Ham man set for QPR role.