Nathan Jones should resist Leeds United transfer urge at Charlton Athletic | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic are understood to be one of the clubs interested in Leeds United's Harry Gray, but the Addicks don't really need another attacker.

Charlton Athletic are one of four clubs who have been reported as having an interest in the Leeds United forward Harry Gray, but the Addicks don't need further attacking options.

When a new teenage talent bursts through at a Premier League club, interest in that player might not only come from their rivals. In an era during which it has become commonplace to loan young players out in order to get them the experience of first-team football in preparation for what it's hoped will be a career at the very top of the game.

Some of the very biggest names in the game have started out with spells at other clubs on loan. The current England captain and all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane spent time on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City before breaking into the first team at Tottenham Hotspur before breaking into their first team in 2014. Former England captain David Beckham was briefly loaned out to Preston North End in 1995.

With such possibilities open to clubs who would normally get nowhere near such talent, it's no surprise that there should be such an interest in them. But that doesn't always mean that it's the right decision to try and sign every wunderkind who gets talked up in the press.

Charlton Athletic and other Championship clubs linked with Leeds United's Harry Gray

Journalist Alan Nixon revealed over the international break weekend that four Championship clubs travelled to Accrington Stanley last week to see 17-year-old Harry Gray score for Leeds United's Under-21s in their 3-2 defeat in the Vertu Trophy.

According to Nixon, Derby County, Hull City, Charlton Athletic and Swansea City were all there to watch Gray in the hope that the young striker might be available on loan in the January transfer window.

But appealing though the idea of bringing in such a lavishly talented young player might be, for one of these clubs at least there's a question to be asked over whether they need another striker for the second half of this season. Because in the case of Charlton Athletic, the team already seems well-stocked with quality attacking options.

Charlton Athletic are well-stocked with strikers this season

Harry Gray will be judged on what he delivers as a player himself, but there's no doubting his pedigree. He's the son of the former Charlton striker Andy Gray, who made over 500 appearances in the Premier League and EFL over a 19-year playing career, while his brother Archie has broken into the first-team at Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

It doesn't end there, either. Harry Gray's grandfather is the Leeds United legend Frank Gray, who made over 300 appearances for Leeds over two spells between 1972 and 1985, while his great-uncle is Eddie Gray, who made almost 600 appearances for the Elland Road club and also spent three years as their manager.

Nobody questions Harry Gray's pedigree, potential or ability, but even all of this doesn't mean that he'd be the right decision for the Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones. Charlton were promoted back to the Championship at the end of last season after winning the League One play-off final against Leyton Orient at Wembley.

But while the first aim of any newly-promoted team will ordinarily be to avoid falling straight back the following season, Charlton have made a solid start to life back in the Championship. With a third of the season played, things are getting congested in the middle of the Championship, with just three points separating Ipswich Town in 7th place from Watford in 15th, and Charlton are 9th as teams return from the international break; they're just two points short of a play-off place and six points from automatic promotion spots.

And Charlton are well-stocked for strikers. Injuries to Matty Godden and Charlie Kelman will keep them out until later this month, but they also have Miles Leaburn and Tanto Olaofe at their disposal, and while none of their strikers have been prolific in front of goal so far this season, the fact that Jones prefers to only play one up top raises the question of whether adding another striker is what Charlton will need by the start of the January transfer window.

This means that such a loan might not be right for Harry Gray, either. If Leeds do loan him out in January, it will be because they want him to gain the invaluable experience that comes with game-time. A team with four recognised senior strikers who are managed by someone who only plays one up front doesn't sound like the right fit for a teenager in need of game-time.

There will be players that Charlton can bring in over the course of the January window. With only one loanee currently on their books, temporary deals wouldn't be an issue either. But while no-one doubts that Harry Gray is an excellent prospect for the future, that doesn't necessarily make him the best match for Charlton Athletic at this particular time.