Football League World
·6 July 2024
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·6 July 2024
Nathan Jones is shaping Charlton Athletic's squad ahead of his first full season in charge.
Charlton Athletic are preparing for their fifth consecutive season in League One.
Manager Nathan Jones is set for his first full season in charge at The Valley after he replaced Michael Appleton in February. Jones led the Addicks to a 16th-place finish, after joining the club when the threat of relegation to League Two was starting to become a real possibility.
Charlton have brought in six new signings so far this summer. Jones wants to bring in nine new players during this transfer window, so there are expected to be further additions in the coming weeks.
Charlton have paid transfer fees for four of their new arrivals so far, and they also bought a few players in January, signalling that the intent of the owners is to challenge at the top end of League One next season.
The Addicks sold last season's Golden Boot winner Alfie May to Birmingham City for £775,000, but moved quickly to bring in Matty Godden and Gassan Ahadme to strengthen their striking department. Midfielder Conor McGrandles has also departed The Valley and returned to Lincoln City.
Let's take a look at a few players who will need to impress during pre-season or risk being moved on this summer.
Tayo Edun joined Charlton from Blackburn Rovers last summer. He made 26 appearances in League One over the course of the season but only featured on the pitch five times under Jones.
The left-back was given a start in midfield against Shrewsbury Town in the last home game of the season, but he was substituted at half-time and not included in the squad for the trip to Wycombe Wanderers on the final day.
His minutes were limited after the arrival of Thierry Small in February, and now Charlton have also added Edwards in that area of the pitch, Edun will likely find himself further down the pecking order.
The 26-year-old will need to have an impressive pre-season if he is going to force himself back into the manager's plans, and it would not be a huge surprise if he is made available to other clubs this summer.
Midfielder Terry Taylor left Burton Albion to sign for Charlton last summer. The 23-year-old only played five times in League One during the 2023/24 campaign, as his season was affected by injury.
He featured for the under-21s a few times towards the end of the season but is yet to make an appearance for the first team under Jones.
Taylor arrived at The Valley with high expectations, as his set-piece delivery and energy in the middle of the pitch for the Brewers had earned him plaudits the season before.
He will need to have a good pre-season to convince Jones that he should be included in his plans for next season. If not, he could potentially benefit from a loan move to another third tier side and Charlton could re-assess the situation in January.
Young midfielder Aaron Henry has been in and around the first team at Charlton for the last few years and has played 28 times for the Addicks.
The 20-year-old spent the first half of last season on loan at Crawley Town in League Two, before joining Wealdstone in the National League until the end of the campaign.
Henry has always been highly rated during his time in Charlton's academy, although with a year remaining on his contract, this is an important few weeks for him.
If he has a good pre-season, he can either earn himself a chance to prove himself at the start of next season or secure a loan move in the EFL. Henry needs to show what he can do next season to ensure that he is given a new deal at The Valley, and having a strong pre-season is the perfect way to get started.