Nathan Jones reveals 'self-explanatory' Charlton Atheltic transfer plan for Southampton man | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones has spoken out on his desire to complete the transfer.

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones is keen on signing Southampton defender James Bree permanently in January.

The Addicks have experienced a largely positive return to the Championship thus far, putting together a string of good results in October to momentarily sit inside the play-off places.

However, back-to-back defeats against Wrexham and Southampton, which included a 5-1 drubbing by the Saints, have halted Charlton’s momentum and sent them back into the middle of the pack.

With the January transfer window approaching, manager Nathan Jones has opened up on some of the business his side will be hoping to commence as they continue pursuing their task of remaining in the second-tier for another year.

Nathan Jones suggests Charlton Athletic want to pursue permanent James Bree, Southampton deal

Charlton made a number of impressive signings during the summer transfer window, including deals for players such as Charlie Kelman, Joe Rankin-Costello and Thomas Kaminski.

Another smart piece of business was the loan signing of James Bree from Southampton until January, a player who made 17 Premier League appearances last term.

The right-sided defender has made 11 appearances for the Addicks this term, scoring twice and providing three assists in that time. He has quickly established himself as a crucial component in Jones’ team and the Charlton boss has spoken out on his desire to attain Bree’s services permanently.

"James Bree is an excellent player. I've taken James Bree to every club I've been at, and he's been excellent for me," Jones told the Daily Echo.

"All I can comment on is what he does for me and how he plays for me. He's been excellent for me. He's an outstanding footballer."

Asked if he would like to sign Bree permanently in January, Jones added: "Well, look, I've signed him everywhere I've been, so I think that's self-explanatory."

The 27-year-old previously spent time working under Charlton’s manager at both Luton Town and Southampton.

Bree cost the Saints £750,000 in 2023 when he joined from Luton, with his contract at St. Mary’s set to expire at the end of this season.

Charlton Athletic could use James Bree’s situation to their advantage

With Bree’s loan at Charlton set to expire in January, a decision will need to be made on where his future lies.

The defender’s contract with Southampton is set to expire in the summer, which means that they will either offer Bree a new deal or choose to cash in on his services.

It seems unlikely that the first option will be taken up, due to the fact that the South Coast outfit were willing to loan him out in the summer, but Tonda Eckert could potentially have a different view on Bree’s usefulness to the squad.

However, Charlton could use this situation to their advantage and strike a deal.

Southampton won’t want to lose the defender on a free if they can earn a transfer fee in January, but the 27-year-old’s contract situation means they may have to accept a lower offer.

The Addicks will know this and actively benefit from it. Given that Bree has featured so heavily for Jones in the past, there will no doubt be a real push from Charlton to get a deal done, and the situation could work in their favour.