Charlton Athletic’s takeover delay is preventing transfer plans – and contract talks – kicking off

By Richard Cawley

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Karl Robinson has admitted that Charlton’s summer transfer plans – plus key contract renewals – have had to be put on ice until the club’ s takeover talks become clearer.

The Addicks’ prospects of the League One play-offs are wilting after a 1-0 defeat at Blackpool in midweek.

And Robinson revealed afterwards the negotiations over a sale by owner Roland Duchatelet could still be months away from completion.

“We’re trying to watch players for next season and we should be talking to agents in the middle of March,” said the Addicks boss.

“This is when you start refining your targets for the summer. But how can we? I can’t say at the moment who might be sold. Someone’s contract is up – are we going to renew it? Who am I to say that? We haven’t got a goalkeeper, because Ben Amos goes back [to Bolton] at the end of the season. We haven’t got a permanent left-back. Centre-back is one area we don’t need anybody.

“We need a striker, but how much can we spend? All of this is important. We were told it [the takeover] was going to be happening in January and we couldn’t do anything because no one knew what was going on. We can’t afford a summer like that.

“We have got a lot who only have a year left [on their deals] who are assets.”

Two players who will soon be in the final 12 months of their terms are winger Tariqe Fosu and midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey.

“They have both had a right good go this year,” said Robinson.