Charlton Athletic urged to seal ‘no-brainer’ Ipswich Town transfer - It ‘ticks all the boxes’ | OneFootball

FLW’s Charlton fan pundit has commented on whether the Addicks should make Harry Clarke’s loan deal from Ipswich Town permanent.

Charlton Athletic will be hopeful they have enough points in the bag to secure their Championship safety.

The Addicks haven’t won any of their last four second tier matches, but a 1-1 draw away at Watford on Easter Monday lifted them to 49 points and eight points away from the relegation zone.

It’s been an impressive season for Nathan Jones’ men, who were heavily backed to suffer instant relegation following their promotion from League One, but look set to be in the Championship for a second term under the Welshman.

A big part of Charlton’s transfer policy this season was getting players in who had vital Championship experience, with the Addicks adding the likes of Thomas Kaminski, Amari’I Bell, Lyndon Dykes and Conor Coady to their ranks.

Another one of those was right-back Harry Clarke, who linked up on loan from Ipswich Town during the January transfer window and has been a big asset to the south-east London outfit.

Clarke has played 15 times in his loan spell with 14 starts, grabbing two assists and playing in an advanced right-wing-back role.

He has played a significant role in helping Charlton steer clear of the dreaded drop, and such stellar performances have left Addicks supporters questioning whether the club should be going all out to secure a permanent deal.

With this in mind, FLW’s Charlton Athletic pundit has commented over whether the club should be going all out to bring the 25-year-old to The Valley on a full-time basis.

Charlton Athletic urged to seal permanent Harry Clarke move

Speaking to Football League World, Charlton Athletic fan pundit Chris Woodward has urged the Addicks to seal a permanent move for Harry Clarke, believing his experience, footballing attributes, personality and ongoing situation at Portman Road “ticks all the boxes” for the club to strike a deal.

Chris told FLW: “I think it’s a no-brainer to try and make Harry Clarke a permanent deal.

“From a footballing point of view, we’re talking about an experienced Championship player who has done very well for us. He has the physical attributes with his pace and energy, while having a long throw speciality which works very well in this Nathan Jones setup.

“He’s fitted into the right-wing-back position, replacing James Bree perfectly. From a character's point of view, he has a funny and positive personality reflected through the club and his personal social media. He’s settled in really comfortably, developed a good connection with the fans and is the right type of person you want in the dressing room.

“Then from a financial point of view, he’s on a reported £15,000 a week, which isn’t outrageous for this level, and only has a year left at Ipswich to run, where he isn’t exactly in favour, so it shouldn’t be too expensive to bring in as well.

“From a footballing, financial and individual point of view, it ticks all the boxes, and we really need to have a look at this deal as one we should be attempting to make permanent this summer.”

Charlton Athletic must explore Harry Clarke permanent deal

It’s safe to say that Harry Clarke has been a shrewd signing for Charlton in their quest for survival, with the 25-year-old adding a much-needed spark in the final third.

When getting forward, Clarke has created 14 chances, 5 big chances and notched two assists in the process, while he has also shown superb defensive numbers as well, making 50 clearances, 48 recoveries and keeping six clean sheets from his 15 appearances, as per FotMob.

Overall, Clarke has been the complete package, and it would be silly of Charlton to let him walk away when his future at Ipswich Town is up in the air when he returns.

Charlton should already be setting their stall out to get Clarke back, and you wouldn’t think there would be much reluctance from the player given he has enjoyed such a positive spell at The Valley to date.

Clarke’s experience, quality on the ball and impact in the dressing room has made him such a top asset to the first-team, and Charlton are going to have to continue having characters like that on their books if they are to establish themselves in the second tier and get higher up the standings in the years to come.