Charlton Athletic backed to sign £9m Brighton player - "It'd feel like a home run" | OneFootball

FLW's Charlton fan pundit would love to see Eiran Cashin sign on loan before the summer transfer window closes

Charlton Athletic have had a sensational start to their second season back in the Championship, winning their first two league games against Derby County and West Ham United.

Nathan Jones has rolled the dice and reverted to the 4-2-3-1 system that was deployed mainly in their promotion-winning campaign from League One a couple of years ago, with the hope of packing a bit more of an attacking punch after a more robust approach last season.

And arguably, taking a man out of the backline at present is helping maintain the balance of the squad, with Charlton currently undergoing a bit of an availability crisis in defence.

Indeed, the only man to keep his place in the starting 11 from West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek was centre-back Billy Koumetio, and both he and his defensive partner Collins Sichenje were withdrawn after 15 minutes in the cup tie, the latter with a bad-looking knee injury.

Charlton Athletic fan pundit urges Addicks to loan Eiran Cashin in the final days of the summer transfer window

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With Koumetio and Sichienje joining Reece Burke on the sidelines, Nathan Jones now just has Lloyd Jones, Ivan Mesik and Amari'i Bell as fit centre-backs, and with Josh Edwards also still recovering from the ankle injury he picked up last September, Bell has been deputising at left-back.

With Charlton seemingly now down to the bare bones across the backline, Nathan Jones looks to be bringing in Nottingham Forest man Tyler Bindon on loan for the season.

However, FLW's Addicks fan pundit, Chris Woodward, wants his side to go out and loan Brighton and Hove Albion defender Eiran Cashin, who can cover both centrally and on the left. The Irishman has struggled to nail down a spot on the South Coast after arriving from Derby County for £9 million.

"I'd question the recruitment team if we weren't looking at Cashin to fix our defensive crisis," Chris told FLW. "He seems like the perfect option available.

"We currently have no fit depth for centre-back or left-back, and Cashin can play both positions, has experience and, more importantly, has quality at this level, as seen at Derby and Blackburn."

Charlton Athletic fan pundit believes loaning Eiran Cashin could free up possibilities for attacking additions

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Woodward feels that a loan would be ideal this summer, as it would allow Charlton a temporary fix to what is an injury crisis for a decent centre-back core, while also permitting them to continue focusing their budgets on a winger.

Indeed, their pursuit of former loan star Jesurun Rak-Sakyi fell through at the eleventh hour, so a right-sided attacker is still needed at the Valley this summer, and with the possibility that more than one emergency defender addition is needed, a couple of loans could open the door for someone like the 23-year-old to come in.

"When you think he's available for loan, meaning he can cover our injured players without overloading the position for next season, and it'd also leave us budget to focus on the right wing," Chris continued.

"It seems too good to be true; it feels like a home run where he ticks everything we need, and there's little downside to us signing him."

Barring a dud spell at Birmingham City in the first half of last season, where Cashin fell victim to a strong defensive core and didn't get much of an opportunity, the Irishman has been a solid Championship defender both at Derby and Blackburn.

If he becomes available, the Addicks fan pundit feels they won't be alone in their interest, but believes they'll be in a good position to land him.

"I expect there'd be quite a few Championship teams sniffing around, but with our desperation for a defender, I'd hope we can get this done, as he'd be a wonderful addition to the squad," Chris added.

Eiran Cashin would still be a useful addition to Charlton Athletic alongside Tyler Bindon

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As mentioned, Charlton currently have three fit senior centre-backs, and one of them is having to play left-back currently in Bell.

If Bindon comes in, there are at least some depth options, but arguably not enough if the players currently in the treatment room are set to stay there for lengthy periods. Following the Spurs defeat, Nathan Jones admitted that the injuries to Sichenje and Koumetio don't look like they'll take just weeks to recover from.

So, if those two are set to be out for a few months, and Reece Burke's status is still unclear, then only having one senior option in reserve could still leave the Addicks light during a long, gruelling campaign.

As Woodward stated, Cashin can also provide cover at left-back, while Bindon is an out-and-out centre-back, so even with the New Zealand man closing in on a move, a pursuit of the Brighton defender could still be on the cards before the transfer window closes.