Charlton Athletic: Preston North End omission could see January exit agreed | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic striker Daniel Kanu could benefit from a loan spell during the second half of the season.

Charlton Athletic striker Daniel Kanu could benefit from a loan move away from The Valley during the January transfer window.

The 20-year-old has shown plenty of promise so far during his short career, but with Nathan Jones having so many forward options at his disposal right now, a temporary spell away from SE7 for the remainder of the season may be a good option.

The Addicks currently have Miles Leaburn, Tyreece Campbell, Gassan Ahadme, Matty Godden, Chuks Aneke and Danny Hylton in their first-team squad, and while some supporters would argue that Kanu deserves to be ahead of one or two of those names in the pecking order, he is not being given opportunities on the pitch at present.

Since he played 90 minutes during the 0-0 draw against Mansfield Town in December, Kanu has not been included in any of the four matchday squads that have been named by manager Nathan Jones in League One.

The striker was an unused substitute for the Addicks' FA Cup Third Round defeat against Preston North End in midweek, and there is a case to be made that he was only involved at all because nine players can be named on the bench in that competition, with only seven allowed in the league.

Kanu has shown that he is capable of scoring goals in the EFL, so the most logical solution for both the club and the player would be for him to gain some regular minutes at another club during the second half of the season.

Charlton should consider sending Kanu on loan

Kanu made 30 appearances in League One for Charlton during the 2023/24 campaign, many of which came following the appointment of Jones midway through the season, and he even penned a new long-term contract shortly after the arrival of the Welshman.

He scored a few important goals as the Addicks put together a 14-game unbeaten run under their new boss during the final months of the season.

However, he has been limited to just nine appearances in the third tier so far this season, with his only goal being a well-taken lob during the defeat at home against Crawley Town last month.

The youngster could benefit from a loan move so that he can enjoy an extended run in the starting lineup and find some goalscoring form that will give him confidence ahead of a return to SE7 in the summer.

Kanu has impressed on loan before

If Kanu were to go out on loan before the end of the January transfer window, it would likely be a promotion-chasing League Two side or a bottom-half League One side that would secure his services.

He proved himself in the National League while on loan at Southend United during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, and even managed to score four goals in a single game against Solihull Moors, before being recalled by the Addicks.

There is no doubt that Kanu's long-term future is at The Valley, but considering that he has not been involved for a number of weeks now, and there are several forward options available to Nathan Jones, a loan move this month seems like it would be a good decision for his development.