'Medical today' - Charlton Athletic next transfer confirmed as Barnsley and Bristol Rovers lose out

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones challenged the club to get its transfer business done early this summer and the London outfit certainly looks to be meeting those demands.

The Welshman had made no secret of his desire to have a completed squad ready for pre-season preparations ahead of the upcoming League One campaign. Last week, the Addicks confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Will Mannion from Cambridge United in a statement transfer.

The shot-stopper was then followed up on Monday by the club confirming it had beaten Championship competition to bring Luton Town midfielder Luke Berry to The Valley. The 31-year-old, who made 17 Premier League appearances last season, had been linked with London rivals QPR and Watford.

It's been a busy week for Charlton Athletic but the work doesn't appear to be stopping there. Just hours after the signing of Berry was confirmed, transfer specialist Darren Witcoop wrote on social media platform X: "Charlton set to follow up signing of free agent Luke Berry by landing Dunfermline defender Josh Edwards for £150,000. The Addicks beat off interest from Bristol Rovers to land the full-back."

The club's interest in the Scottish Championship defender has been well-known for weeks and it had seemed a matter of time before completion was confirmed. Charlton Athletic had been expected to wrap the deal up last month but it was reported that Dunfermline also accepted a Bristol Rovers bid, which prolonged the process as Edwards spoke to both clubs. League One rivals Barnsley were also named as an interested party at one point.

The South London Press also confirmed the imminent Edwards deal, adding that the 24-year-old was undergoing his medical in London on Monday. The £150,000 fee touted is significantly lower than a reported £1 million asking price once supposedly held by the club but the player has just one year left on his contract, which seems likely to have played a part in discussions.

Edwards made 42 appearances for Dunfermline Athletic last season, bagging four goals and nine assists from defence as the club finished sixth in the Scottish second division. The defender was the subject of transfer interest in January but the Scottish club rejected a bid from Barnsley at that time.