Chelsea and Brentford tracking Charlton Athletic’s young striker Miles Leaburn
Chelsea and Brentford are weighing up January moves for Charlton’s striking talent Miles Leaburn.
The 19-year-old, who made his first-team debut in July 2022, has scored 19 goals in 50 appearances for the Addicks.
Charlton’s new owners Global Football Partners rejected a bid in excess of ÂŁ3million from a Bundesliga club in the summer and are under no pressure to sell Leaburn, who signed a three-year professional deal in July 2022.
The last time that the South London club sold a leading talent at this level for big money was in January 2017. Ademola Lookman – the same age as Leaburn is now – joined Everton in a deal believed to be in the region of ÂŁ7.5m.
Chelsea have come calling for Charlton talent before with Mason Burstow making the move on February 1, 2022 in a transfer worth just under ÂŁ2million. Then owner Thomas Sandgaard negotiated for Burstow to stay on loan with the League One club for the remainder of that season.
Burstow made his Chelsea debut in August and then was loaned to Sunderland.
The west Londoners have a track record for signing young talent and then sending them out to gain experience. Either players make the grade after a number of temporary exits – Conor Gallagher being a prime example – or money is recouped on loan fees and eventual sales.
Leaburn was on the books of Chelsea and joined Charlton’s academy when he was released at the age of 16, signing a three-year professional deal in July 2022.
Leaburn has strong links to the Addicks. His dad Carl played for them while his mum Tracey is head of first-team player care.
He missed the opening month of the League One season with an ankle injury – the victim of a bad tackle in Charlton’s opening friendly at Welling – and returned to the senior squad at the start of September.
Leaburn has scored six goals in 10 appearances – three of those coming in the EFL Trophy including a double against Aston Villa U21s.
Charlton’s attacking options are set to be depleted with Chuks Aneke expected to be missing for a period of time with the hamstring injury he suffered in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Reading.
Leaburn started in his absence in the 3-1 defeat to Lincoln City on Tuesday but was replaced by Panutche Camara just after the hour mark.
PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD
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