Charlton Athletic and Nathan Jones have hit Luton Town jackpot | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic look to have struck gold with their Luton Town purchase

Charlton Athletic have enjoyed a fantastic start to their 2025/26 Championship campaign, after achieving promotion from League One last term.

The Addicks have looked competitive from the outset, enjoying victories over the likes of Watford, Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday.

Perhaps their crowning moment thus far was a brilliant 3-0 away triumph at Ipswich Town, who just last term operated out of the Premier League and enjoy a squad that are capable of fighting at the very top of the second-tier.

Birmingham City and Wrexham were also promoted from League One last term and spent much more than Charlton in the transfer window, but the Addicks look to be the most competitive side out of that trio at this moment in time.

Nathan Jones’ side have picked up points in eight of the first 11 matches to sit fifth in the Championship standings, something that wasn’t predicted by many people heading into the campaign and may have also beaten the expectations of those at the Valley.

There are multiple reasons as to why Charlton have performed so well this season, with their smart recruitment during the summer transfer window one of them.

Thomas Kaminski has been a revelation for Charlton Athletic

During the summer, Charlton made a number of smart signings including Charlie Kelman, Joe Rankin-Costello and James Bree, who have all helped the Addicks establish themselves as a competitive Championship outfit.

Another key signature they secured was that of Thomas Kaminski, who had just suffered relegation from the second-tier with Luton Town.

Jones and Co. used this opportunity wisely, capitalising on the Hatters’ downfall to acquire a shot-stopper who was playing in the Premier League just two seasons ago.

Kaminski hasn’t wasted any time settling in at the Valley, producing strong performances from the outset.

The 33-year-old was thrown straight into Charlton’s starting 11, highlighting how much faith Jones had in his new decision, and it has proven to be a wise one.

Kaminski has kept five clean sheets in his first 11 Championship matches, with the Addicks’ recent 3-0 besting of Ipswich a stark example of this.

The Tractor Boys piled constant pressure on the Charlton goal during the contest and had 30 shots, yet Kaminski’s goalkeeping heroics allowed his side to stay in the game long enough to strike at the other end.

This is a perfect example of a ‘keeper doing their job to perfection, shutting out the opposition for as long as they can before allowing the outfield players to go and win the contest, which will please Jones endlessly.

Kaminski has proven he has what it takes to compete at the highest level of English football, making 145 saves during his sole season in the top-flight whilst displaying his technical prowess with 312 accurate long balls.

A brilliant goalkeeper is crucial for success at any level, as it provides defences with an unmatched confidence to know they have a safe pair of hands that can bail them out of trouble.

This breeds into the performance shown by the rest of the team, which is why Jones will be so delighted with how Kaminski has performed so far.

Although those involved within the Charlton Athletic camp can look back and feel proud at how they’ve started the season, they can’t afford to rest on their laurels for one moment.

The 2025/26 Championship campaign looks to be a unique entity, the type of season we haven’t seen in a few years, where the clubs that have come down from the Premier League don’t look dominant over the rest of the competition.

Ipswich Town and Southampton have struggled for form, whilst Coventry City and Middlesbrough have shot to the top of the league without help from parachute payments.

This provides an opportunity for clubs like Charlton Athletic to sneak into the play-off race, which may not be a chance they are given in the next few years.

Therefore, Jones and Co. will be relaying the importance of Charlton staying on track to the squad on a constant basis, as doing so could provide some colossal rewards come May.