Charlton Athletic star backed to 'go for even more' after £7m Southampton bid | OneFootball

FLW's Charlton Athletic fan pundit shares their thoughts on the rejected offer from Southampton for Micah Mbick

The 2026 summer transfer window is over, and as for Charlton Athletic, things couldn't be going much better at the club right now.

Charlton remain unbeaten in their opening four Championship games of the season, winning their opening three, including away to West Ham United, before drawing away to high-flying West Bromwich Albion, before heading to struggling Stoke City this weekend.

The Addicks have not spent beyond their means this summer, bringing in the likes of Danny McNamara, Karlan Grant, and Nathaniel Chalobah on free transfers, Ivan Meslik, Billy Koumetio, and Millenic Alli for nominal fees, and Timothy Noor Ouma, Arthur Okonkwo, and Tyler Bindon on loan.

Head coach Nathan Jones will be delighted with the way their summer and subsequent start to the Championship campaign has transpired, though the Welshman did have a huge call to make regarding the immediate future of one of his young stars on deadline day.

Charlton Athletic rejected Southampton's late offer for Micah Mbick

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According to Natasha Everitt via X, Charlton rejected a bid worth £7 million for striker Micah Mbick on deadline day, with the Addicks viewing the England youth international as a key part of plans this campaign.

Mbick, 19, spent last season on loan in League Two with Colchester United, scoring seven and assisting twice in 22 League games, as only an injury kept him out of action during the second half of the year.

With Charlie Kelman and Matt Godden out injured, and Grant preferred on the flank, this leaves just Miles Leaburn as the only fit and other available option at centre-forward in the current Charlton squad, as Mbick will surely earn more minutes moving forward.

It's a big call to make from the Addicks, who clearly view Mbick as a player with real potential, as time will tell whether that was the correct call or not.

Football League World's Charlton Athletic fan pundit believes rejecting Southampton's £7 million offer for Micah Mbick 'was the right thing to do'

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Football League World's Charlton fan pundit, Chris Woodward, has shared their thoughts on the club rejecting Southampton's offer for Mbick, and whether that was the right move.

Chris said: "It's such a difficult decision to make, but ultimately I think rejecting the £7 million for Mbick was the right thing to do.

"If we ignore the price tag for a second, sending one of your only two fit strikers with no replacement lined up at the end of the window is a huge gamble, especially when your other fit striker has had injury issues himself, and the other forwards coming back have themselves struggled with injuries and may not fit the new style of play.

"I'll use Will Lankshear as a benchmark: 11 Championship goals at 21, and he's cost £10 million, potentially £20 million with add-ons included. If Mbick hits double figures, not only has he massively contributed to Charlton, but his price rockets up. And when you consider he's 18 months younger than Lankshear and has the big physical profile which he lacks, he can go for even more than that initial £10 million.

"£7 million is not to be sniffed at because it's a lot of money ultimately for someone unproven at this level, and I can see why some fans would have wanted to cash it in, but the potential he has is so great, I think it's worth a gamble holding onto him."

Nathan Jones faces a big decision on Micah Mbick's Charlton Athletic future

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With Charlton knocking back Southampton's offer for Mbick, the forward will surely now expect a decent amount of game time as a result.

The Englishman has made just three league appearances this season thus far, each coming off the bench, though sooner rather than later, Jones will have to trust him from the get-go and prove why Southampton's bid was too little.

Under contract at The Valley until the summer of 2028, Charlton had no reason to sell this summer, but should his value not increase within the next 12 months, this could be a decision they live to regret.