Lyle Taylor in plea to Charlton Athletic owner: We can’t afford to lose anyone in January transfer window
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk
Lyle Taylor has urged Charlton Athletic owner Roland Duchatelet not to sell anybody in next month’s transfer window.
Karlan Grant is likely to attract interest in January. The 21-year-old has 11 goals in 22 appearances for the Addicks this season and is due to be out of contract this summer.
Midfielder Joe Aribo, 22, will also be inside the final six months of his deal at the start of 2019. He has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga along with Benfica, Tottenham, Southampton and Derby County.
Charlton would still get compensation for the pair if they were to join another English club.
Taylor leads the Addicks’ scoring charts with 13 goals and the 28-year-old will also be an attractive proposition, although he still has 18 months to run on his SE7 terms.
“We have to keep everyone – and that includes players who haven’t played so much like Nicky Ajose and Mark Marshall,” said Taylor. “We have got a small squad as it is.
“We’re a tight-knit squad and we’re a squad who work well together. The fact people are stepping in and making a difference, as has happened in the last few weeks, that needs to continue.
“We can’t get rid of anyone. I’m sure the manager would want one or two in the door to help us.
“I don’t know if these words will ever be read by the owner of the football club, but he needs to know that we as a squad need to stay together. Hopefully that’s the message he’ll be getting from those people who are in contact with him.”
Duchatelet has sold young talent before with Joe Gomez, Ademola Lookman and Ezri Konsa all making multi-million pound exits in recent seasons.
The Belgian businessman wants to offload the South London club but so far his valuation has stopped interested parties completing a deal. He has implemented cost-cutting measures to try and stem some of the club’s losses, which are believed to be in the region of £8m a season.
Grant, Aribo and Taylor are Charlton’s most saleable assets. Tariqe Fosu, also out of contract at the end of June, has struggled to replicate his form of last season.
Photograph by Keith Gillard
Other images: Paul Edwards
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