Charlton Athletic told to take 'very sensible transfer risk' | OneFootball

FLW's Charlton fan pundit is keen on bringing in Sambou Soumano this summer

After being just one of four sides to score under a goal a game in the Championship last season, adding a potent goalscorer to their ranks is right at the top of the transfer wishlist at Charlton Athletic this summer.

There'll be some optimism that experienced frontman Matty Godden can provide a threat with a full pre-season behind him, after making just two starts last year due to injury. The 34-year-old signed a new one-year contract this summer.

There'll also be an expectation that Charlie Kelman could kick on after a middling campaign following his £3.5 million move to the Valley from QPR, and perhaps some exciting youngsters such as Daniel Kanu and Micah Mbick can chip in here and there, too.

Nevertheless, bringing in a new striker who has a decent scoring record would help ease those fears that the above doesn't happen, and Foot Mercato are reporting that Charlton are interested in bringing in Sambou Soumano on a free transfer at the culmination of his Lorient contract.

The 24-year-old netted just four times in Ligue 1 last season, but only started eight games for Les Merlus, playing just over 900 minutes. The year before, he scored 14 times, despite starting 11 games, to help them earn promotion to the French top flight.

Charlton Athletic fan pundit encouraged by Sambou Soumano links

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Statistics across Soumano's recent seasons indicate that, despite a lack of minutes, the 25-year-old can still be a serviceable frontman. All it needs is for a club to take a chance on him and play him more, and he could end up being a striker capable of scoring in the double digits.

No individual scored more than eight Championship goals for Nathan Jones' side last season, and FLW's Charlton fan pundit, Chris Woodward, feels that Soumano could be the man to do just that in 2026/27, based on his recent stats.

"I'm not going to pretend like I know a lot about Soumano, but he's a striker I like the look of," he said.

"When you look at his six-goal contributions in 32 games in Ligue 1, it doesn't look impressive. But you need to consider that he's played only 900 minutes, so when he's actually on the pitch, his returns do look promising.

"And, while the Championship is a harder league than the French second tier, 26 goals in 72 games, 44 games when considering per 90 stats, is a very good return and shows he has goals in his game, which a lot of our strikers lack outside Godden, who struggled with injury last season and Kelman, who hasn't been fancied by Nathan Jones."

There is, obviously, a risk that comes with bringing in a striker who has played his entire career in France, as there's every chance he may not adapt to the EFL as quickly as Charlton will need him to next season.

But, with it being a free transfer, Woodward believes that Soumano is worth that risk, and feels that the Valley is the best place for the 25-year-old to get game time and develop further, rather than Derby County, who Foot Mercato also credits with interest.

"Whether he's better than what we have is hard to judge, but with him being 25 and on a free, in today's market, looks a very sensible risk," the fan pundit continued.

"Derby are also interested in him, and while we can't offer more financially than them, he has a much better chance of getting minutes at Charlton, with Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang, when fit, ahead of him at Derby.

"That could play in his mind, given his restricted minutes at Lorient; he may want to be the main man. And, with it being a free, Charlton may feel more confident offering him more money as well.

"Overall, I like the look of the move, and if Charlton want him, I can't see any reason why we wouldn't get him."

Charlton Athletic could hit the jackpot with Sambou Soumano deal

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Derby are being tipped by many to at least maintain their top-eight finish from last season this upcoming campaign, which would land them a play-off place in the revamped postseason.

So, if the Rams are also putting their name in the hat for Soumano, there's an indication that he could be good enough to be amongst the better teams in the league.

If Charlton can get his signature over the line ahead of the likes of Derby, then it would be an encouraging signing, especially if he does then prove to be of the standard required to play in a play-off side while at the Valley.

As Woodward alluded to, it's very much a low-risk, high-reward situation, given his free agent status.

While the Addicks may be angling for some safer options as they gear up for a year battling against the drop, these risks could ensure they keep the bottom three at arm's length if they do pay off. If they don't, then they won't be at any financial disadvantage.

Time will tell whether Charlton will up their pursuit of Soumano. If they do, he'll have a lot of pressure on him to ensure that the league's third-worst attacking side last season gets that much-needed improvement.