Despite many predicting Charlton Athletic to go straight back down this season, Nathan Jones has recruited well, but there is one more player he should sign.
Charlton triumphed in the League One play-offs last season thanks to a resilient defence and some gritty displays from Nathan Jones’ side.
Given their lack of quality at the start of the summer, it’s not surprising they were most people’s pick to finish rock bottom in the Championship for 2025/26.
However, recent signings like Charlie Kelman have raised the bar, and now, Jones has a real fighting chance of keeping the Addicks in the division.
George Abbott is ready to step up to the Championship and Charlton Athletic need him
There’s still work to be done for Charlton, of course. One area in particular where they look low on quality is in the middle of the park, and Tottenham Hotspur could help them out there.
George Abbott recently signed a new contract with Spurs to commit his long-term future to the Lilywhites, but with plenty of upheaval at Tottenham this summer, he’s unlikely to bag a first-team spot just yet.
Instead, Thomas Frank is almost certainly going to look to loan Abbott out, and that’s where Charlton come in.
Abbott enjoyed a phenomenal loan spell with Notts County in League Two last season, registering six goals and seven assists in 44 games.
One of those goals was crowned the League Two goal of the season, with Abbott applying a wonderful, technical finish to get the ball rolling in a 3-0 win over Accrington Stanley back in January.
The truth is, from the moment he arrived at Notts County you could tell Abbott was too good for the division. And, while a switch to League One this year is the safe option, there’s no reason he can’t make the leap to the Championship and show what he’s capable of.
Charlton have the likes of Conor Coventry, Terry Taylor, Greg Docherty, Sonny Carey, Karoy Anderson, and Luke Berry in the middle of the park, but they lack someone like Abbott who offers dynamism, creativity, and flair in those pockets behind the front line.
Nathan Jones is actually putting together a good squad at Charlton Athletic
While most people joked about Nathan Jones turning Charlton into Luton Town 2.0 earlier this summer, with the likes of Thomas Kaminski and Reece Burke joining from his former club, there are some really shrewd signings to supplement that.
Amari’i Bell, another player taken from Luton, should be the perfect replacement for Small, while Joe Rankin-Costello on the other side of defence is a solid signing.
Rob Apter will be one to watch, too. Blackpool fans think he left too soon, but he will be hungry to show what he can do in the Championship.
The same goes for Kelman up top. After scoring 21 goals in League One last season, he’s more than ready to explode in the second tier, and QPR may well regret selling him in the long run.
It’ll still be a slog for Charlton this season, but they’re definitely giving themselves a fighting chance thanks to the recruitment drive this summer.