Charlton boss Lee Bowyer: We’ve had the go-ahead to bring in a striker when transfer window opens
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Josh Davison will come back into Charlton’s squad for the Boxing Day match against Bristol City – with boss Lee Bowyer saying he has been given the green light to bring in another striker in next month’s January transfer window.
The Addicks saw Lyle Taylor recently return from a knee injury but lost West Brom loanee Jonathan Leko with an ankle injury in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against QPR.
And Bowyer says that Matt Southall, who will be the chairman if East Street Investments get EFL approval for their takeover of the SE7 outfit, has made it clear that he should go out and bring in another frontman.
The only two fit senior forwards on the books are Taylor – who has been linked with an exit – and Macauley Bonne.
Asked about the absence of Leko, the Charlton manager said: “We’re limited. We’ll have to bring the young kid – Josh – back in the squad. That’s our next striker.
“January is around the corner and we’ll be looking now. We were looking anyway, even more so. Now we need to bring in at least one more striker.
“Loans is a bit easier sometimes [to get in earlier] and we’re in contact already with clubs about strikers. Matt is saying to us we have the go ahead to bring in another striker, but he ain’t paying a bill yet – we’ll have to go through Roland [Duchatelet, current owner] as well. Obviously Roland has to okay it but Matt is okay for the long term.
“What I mean by long term is that in the short term Roland has got to okay it for now – and even then Matt could have said no to it long term. But he is saying yes as well. He is saying long term to go and get a striker.”
Bowyer has dismissed any notion of centre-back Naby Sarr operating as an emergency forward. He was pushed up front at Loftus Road and scored a stoppage-time equaliser.
“He was poor when we put him up there – apart from the goal,” said the Charlton chief. “He didn’t win a header and didn’t hold anything up. We just chucked him up there, like we did the other week against Sheffield Wednesday. He took his goal well, but we know he can do that.”
MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD
SECOND PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS
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