Nathan Jones will surely hate Ipswich Town decision - it'll impact Charlton Athletic move | OneFootball

Harry Clarke has had his deal extended at Ipswich Town by a further year following his loan spell with Charlton Athletic

Preparations for their second consecutive season in the Championship at Charlton Athletic will be well underway, as Nathan Jones continues to establish the East London outfit as a solid second-tier side.

Welsh boss Nathan Jones did an exceptional job in guiding Charlton from the depths of League One to the Championship, defeating Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final in 2025 to secure their place back in the second tier.

Upon their promotion, the Addicks spent big on the likes of Charlie Kelman, Rob Apter, Harvey Knibbs, Tanto Olaofe, and Thomas Kaminski to reinforce their squad, with each having varying degrees of success.

On the whole, it would have to be classed as a poor window by the Addicks, with Apter and Olaofe loaned back out to League One in January, Kelman scoring just seven despite hitting nearly four times that amount the season prior, and Kaminski would lose his place to Will Mannion after a string of poor performances.

Despite survival, they cannot afford another poor window like that, and as Jones prepares his shortlist for the summer, he will be aggravated to learn of Ipswich Town's contract decision that makes a loan player's return a bit more difficult.

Ipswich Town have activated a one-year contract extension on Harry Clarke following successful Charlton Athletic loan

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Joining on loan from Ipswich in the January window, Harry Clarke instantly became a mainstay in the side during his spell at The Valley, making 19 league appearances, predominantly as a right wing-back, during his spell with the Addicks.

Clarke essentially replaced the outgoing James Bree, who was recalled from his loan spell at Charlton at the beginning of the window by Southampton, and did an excellent job in filling that void despite having barely featured at Portman Road across the previous 18 months.

The 25-year-old suffered a foot injury in pre-season and failed to make a competitive appearance for his parent club before being allowed to join Charlton in January.

Before that, Clarke was a casualty of Ipswich's promotion to the Premier League, making just seven top-flight appearances before joining Sheffield United in January 2025, with both Axel Tuanzebe and Ben Johnson preferred by Kieran McKenna.

McKenna has since made the decision to leave the Tractor Boys following a third promotion in four years, and with Ipswich having released their retained list, they have announced they have taken the option to extend Clarke's deal by a further year, with it initially due to expire this summer.

This will no doubt come as a frustration to Jones and Charlton, who would have likely been eyeing up a permanent move on a free transfer this summer, but those hopes have now been dashed by Ipswich's decision to keep him around.

An exit is still a possibility, and in truth, more likely than him staying. The Tractor Boys will be aiming to collect a generous fee for his services over the summer, with Clarke unlikely to play a part in the Premier League next year.

Jones may well still be targeting a reunion with the Englishman soon, but he will be forced to pay a fee for that privilege, as the Welshman will hate Ipswich's contract decision.

Nathan Jones will be targeting a strong summer window at Charlton Athletic and will likely consider a Harry Clarke reunion despite Ipswich's bombshell

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With the summer transfer window officially open for business, Charlton, like any other club, will be hoping to strengthen clear areas of weakness.

Right wing-back is one of those that will need addressing over the coming months, and Clarke will likely be an option despite his contract extension, as the Addicks weigh up their alternatives.

Charlton cannot afford to have another poor summer window, and simply must sign more hits than misses, otherwise they face the very real risk of backsliding towards the relegation zone.

Jones will be determined to ensure that isn't the case, and although Clarke won't be joining them on a free, his addition for a cut-price deal would still be an excellent way to start the summer.