Charlton Athletic to review loan signing state of play closer to January transfer window

Charlton Athletic head coach Michael Appleton says that the club will assess the situation surrounding their loan players nearer to the January transfer window.

The Addicks have a number of temporary signings and in the case of Wolves’ Chem Campbell and Udinese’s James Abankwah neither have held down places in the matchday squad.

Panutche Camara’s stay from Ipswich Town has been injury hit – with the midfielder ruled out until next year – while Slobodan Tedic may now get a run in the team due to Miles Leaburn’s hamstring issue sustained in the 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night.

Louie Watson, on loan from Luton Town, has featured the most of any of the signings in the last window but was a substitute in midweek.

Cancelling loans is one way that Charlton would be able to free up funds and cut their squad size as well as looking to move on players surplus to requirements, like winger Charlie Kirk.

But the question is whether the Addicks will have the ability to end loan deals or the parent club has control over that call.

“It tends to be more of a two-way thing at times,” Appleton told the South London Press. “Sometimes you have it written in there as an absolute must but a lot of the time it is more of an agreement between two clubs that there is a week, or a two-week, period where both parties have a look and assess it – is it going well? Is it not going well? Is it worth continuing etc?

“I think it works both ways. It’s one of them where if there isn’t a clause in there then the relationship between yourselves and the parent club is important because sometimes there is an opportunity for both parties to go their separate ways. I’ve done that at previous clubs. Is it the right thing for both parties?

“We’ve got that many games between now and January that it is something that we will look at closer to the day.

“As a football club we’ve got some big periods of the season coming up and I’m not just talking about the games. The January transfer window is going to be a big one. We want to come out of that window being stronger rather than weaker. There are lots of games after January 1 that if you have a positive window it gives you a brilliant chance of picking up lots of points.

“When it comes to the play-offs it is why I’m a little bit cautious. There are probably a hell of a lot of teams who feel they are in with a shout of the top six. Why wouldn’t you? Because we’re not even halfway through the season. The closer we get to March we will have a better understanding of what it will take (to finish in the play-offs).