Charlton Athletic urged to seal 'quite cheap' Liverpool transfer on one condition | OneFootball

Could the Addicks sign a familiar face this summer?

Charlton Athletic's focus must be on securing their Championship status for another season as they embark on crunch clashes against tricky opponents.

The Addicks have a healthy six-point cushion on the bottom three, which should see them over the line, but with Hull City and Swansea City still to play, it will be tough to do the job themselves.

Given their somewhat precarious position towards the relegation zone, the South East London club could be forgiven if their transfer plans are on hold, although they would be wise to start preparations now.

Indeed, there is one player who Charlton supporters know very well, who the club may consider signing, especially given his contract situation at Liverpool.

Charlton Athletic should consider signing Luke Chambers permanently from Liverpool

In January, Charlton signed Luke Chambers from Liverpool on loan until the end of the season, with Nathan Jones keen to add natural left-sided players to a depleted position.

Since moving to The Valley, the 21-year-old has been a regular feature in Jones' starting lineups, making 15 appearances — all of which have been starts.

When asked whether his side should pursue a permanent move for Chambers this summer, FLW's Charlton fan pundit Chris Woodward gave a very measured response.

"I would definitely be tempted by a move for Luke Chambers if he were to become available this summer," he told Football League World.

"Josh Edwards, who's our starting left back, has been injured for most of the season and up until January, we were forced to play with wingers at left-wing-back. This has completely upset the balance of our squad and coincided with our worst form of the season.

"Chambers came in and, considering he had just come off a year-long back injury, he's done decently and offers us much more balance at the back, making us much more defensively solid.

"With Edwards back this summer, we won't need a first-choice left-wing back, but his absence from November to January has proven we really need depth in that position.

"Chambers is rumoured to be on a contract until next summer with Liverpool, so he would hopefully be quite cheap considering he won't be in Liverpool's plans as he's nowhere near Prem-ready."

Chambers would be a long-term project for Charlton

While the winger has shown encouraging signs at The Valley, his performances suggest that he is more of a prospect for the future, but he could be a useful utility player for the Addicks.

At 21, Chambers has plenty of time to develop his game, and it is unlikely that he will be given first-team opportunities at Liverpool, given the glut of options Arne Slot has at his disposal.

"He definitely has a higher ceiling to improve further and would make a great understudy to Edwards," Chris continued.

"He also will already know the club and manager, which is a great positive, as he won't need time to adapt. However, I do think Jones would like someone a bit more athletic for that position."

Playing as a left-wing-back in Jones' system has meant a lot has been asked of him, but he has produced some promising statistics going forward.

The 21-year-old has completed 60% of his dribbles, ranking him in the top 20% of players in his position, according to Fotmob, while he is among the top 30% for successful crosses.

Athleticism is key for a man playing in Chambers' position, and that might stand against him, but his technical ability and positive attacking numbers do stand out.

Chambers not a necessity for the Addicks

With Edwards coming back from injury, Charlton are not in a desperate position to sign Chambers, although they have learned what happens if you do not have adequate cover.

That being said, Liam believes that his club are in a strong place this summer when it comes to a possible permanent deal for their loanee and should implement a sensible approach.

"If the deal was right for Chambers, I would definitely look at it, but he's definitely not someone I'm desperate to have and someone we should go all-in for," he added.

"If he isn't made permanent, though, I'd wish him all the best because he's come in giving it his all and done very well."

It has clearly been a challenging loan spell for the 21-year-old, given the poor form of Charlton, but credit must be handed his way for stepping in and adapting to Jones' system.

With his contract up in the summer, it feels likely that he will become a free agent in the summer, and for that reason alone, he may just be worth a punt.