‘The fact is’ – Charlie Methven makes Charlton Athletic transfer admission in final week of January window

Charlie Methven says there will be activity at Charlton Athletic in the final week of the transfer window. 

The Addicks chief executive has revealed that South Londoners are targeting attacking reinforcements to bolster Nathan Jones’ options.

Charlton are yet to make any fresh additions to their squad this winter but have let Terry Taylor and Nathan Asiimwe leave on loan to Northampton and Walsall, respectively.

Tayo Edun was also allowed to leave to join League One rivals Peterborough United on a permanent deal.

“We were always going to have a reasonably quiet window,” admitted Methven, who was speaking to the ‘Where’s The Money Gone?’ podcast.

“Why? Because we made 11 signings last summer. That was a huge squad turnaround which had been planned some time in advance – probably from around this time last year.

“We also signed five or six in the last January window. Effectively, 16 new players came to Charlton in the space of eight months.

“The manager felt there would need to be significant time to bed that squad in to get them playing together and gelling with each other.

“However, inevitably, the fact is that we are looking to make improvements.

“Being in pursuit of a play-off place, you don’t want to look back at the end of the season and think: ‘We could have done something there which would have made a difference.’

“Part of it is slimming the squad down. We have 28 fit first-team players at the moment – they can’t even fit on one training pitch together.

“We’re seeing some players leave the club. At the same time, there is the aim to bring a couple more varied attacking options in.

“That’s what the football department have told us they want. Then you’re into the chaos of the January window.

“Unlike the June window, the January window happens with clubs still playing. When you’re speaking to a club about a player, there are dynamics happening at that club at that time.

“You’ll speak to them one day and they’ll say: ‘Yes, we can let that player go to you on loan or on a permanent.’

“The following day, they will have a match and they pick up two injuries. You’ll get a phone call back and they’ll say: ‘We’re sorry, we can’t let him go out now. He’s now going to be in our first team set up.’