Charlton Athletic made a quick £400k on freebie... but Wolves cashed in where it counted | OneFootball

The Addicks lived to regret a deal they struck with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2008.

Charlton Athletic made a profit when they sold Chris Iwelumo during the summer transfer window in 2008, but Wolverhampton Wanderers definitely got the better end of the deal.

The Addicks signed Iwelumo on a free transfer from Colchester United following their relegation from the Premier League in 2007, after he had scored 18 league goals for the U's as they finished 10th in the Championship the previous season.

The striker was part of an attacking unit at The Valley that included the likes of Andy Gray, Svetoslav Todorov and Luke Varney, and the aim was undoubtedly to bounce back to the top flight at the first time of asking under Alan Pardew.

Iwelumo scored a brace on his full debut in a 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday at The Valley, before going on to end the season with 10 goals to his name as Charlton finished mid-table.

Ahead of the 2008/09 season, Iwelumo was sold to Wolves in a deal worth £400,000, and he made his ambitions clear following the move, as per Sky Sports.

"As a club Wolves speaks for itself," Iwelumo said.

"Every player wants to play at the top level. This is a fantastic club with a really good chance of doing well."

Chris Iwelumo fired Wolves to the Premier League

Iwelumo achieved his goal of winning promotion to the Premier League at Molineux, as he helped Mick McCarthy's side win the Championship title at the end of the 2008/09 season.

The Scotland international scored 16 goals in all competitions over the course of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Charlton struggled badly, with Pardew relieved of his duties in November 2008, and there is no doubt they lived to regret selling their top scorer from the previous season.

The Addicks finished the season bottom of the Championship with 39 points, less than half of the 90 that Wolves accumulated with their former striker leading the line, and were relegated to League One.

While Charlton made £400,000 in profit on Iwelumo, having brought him in from Colchester on a free transfer, Wolves cashed in where it counted by winning the Championship title and securing automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Iwelumo made Charlton pay at Molineux

Iwelumo was not part of the Wolves squad that beat Charlton 3-1 at The Valley in September 2008, and he spoke about his disappointment at missing out in an interview years later.

"We played against my old club Charlton, and I wanted to play that game so much," Iwelumo said.

"I was getting little shooting pains down my abductor and had lost all strength — I couldn't even pass the ball."

Iwelumo got an opportunity against his former club during the reverse fixture at Molineux in 2009 and took it with both hands.

The physical striker scored the opening goal and assisted the winner as the hosts won 2-1, and Phil Parkinson was left to rue the fact he had been sold the previous summer, as per BBC Sport.

"That Chris Iwelumo left for a nominal fee, about £400,000, I believe, hurts because we have needed a striker like him who can score scruffy goals," the Charlton boss said.

Iwelumo showed pity for his former club as they stared relegation in the face during the lead-up to the game, but that would have done nothing to soften the blow for Charlton.

"In the summer a lot of players left, including myself, and it's never really happened for the players who came in," he explained.