Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers plot transfer for ex-Southampton player | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers are lining up a potential double transfer raid of Dundee United heading into the summer transfer window

Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers will both be bidding to progress up the table heading into the 2026/27 Championship campaign after avoiding relegation to League One, with such ambitions to be fueled by impending summer transfer business.

The Addicks' summer spending last time around following promotion back to the Championship was not insignificant as Nathan Jones lures the likes of Reece Burke, Thomas Kaminski, Charlie Kelman, Joe Rankin-Costello and Tanto Olaofe to South East London.

Charlton, it must be said, have not exactly received optimal value for money on some of the club's recent recruits, although Jones' side have enjoyed a solid and steady season upon returning to the Championship and seldom looked in any real danger of making an immediate return to League One, having now secured survival.

It's been a bit different for Blackburn, who themselves have also retained second-tier status for the following campaign and sit just one point and one position below Charlton in 20th place ahead of the final day but were deeply entrenched in a relegation battle before the uplifting appointment of Michael O'Neill in February.

The ex-Stoke City boss has performed an assuring job at Ewood Park amid testing off-pitch circumstances under the Venky's, offering some stability to Blackburn as the East Lancashire outfit seek to turn what is currently a short-term stint until the end of the campaign into a permanent one.

With the two sides situated in such close proximity to each other in the Championship table and sharing similar relative aspirations for next season ahead of important summer windows, it's no surprise that they appear to both appear to be shopping in the same markets and are lining up respective raids for a former Southampton player.

Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers eyeing ex-Southampton player Will Ferry

The player in question is Will Ferry, who currently plies his trade with Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee United and has caught the attention of Charlton and Blackburn in recent times.

That's according to a recent report from the Daily Record, which has claimed that Charlton head of recruitment Phil Chapple traveled north of the border to watch Ferry score two goals and lay on another in his side's 3-0 victory over city rivals Dundee FC last weekend.

It's said that Ferry has been listed on Charlton's radar all year long, with the versatile 25-year-old having turned heads throughout his two-year spell with United after joining from Cheltenham Town in the summer of 2024.

Ferry, who is also of reported interest to Blackburn ahead of a potential summer transfer battle, is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Scottish side and speculation surrounding his future is beginning to intensify.

A product of the Southampton academy, the creative left-sided operator never made a senior appearance for the Saints but did earn his EFL stripes in stints with Crawley Town and Cheltenham before moving to Tannadice Park.

Capable of operating as a traditional winger, at wing-back or even in a left-back role, Ferry has made 80 appearances for Jim Goodwin's side across all competitions and 38 of those have come this term, with the ex-Republic of Ireland youth international recording four goals and nine assists in 2025/26.

Ferry's importance at United has only grown in recent weeks, with the wide-man scoring on three occasions and setting up the same figure in his last six appearances.

Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers targeting second Dundee United transfer raid

Interestingly, however, Ferry isn't the only player who Charlton and Blackburn are looking to lure back down south, as the aforementioned report has also noted interest in impressive defender Luke Graham.

Three years his teammate's junior, the in-demand Scotsman has not been short of Championship admiration in recent times and Portsmouth reportedly tabled an unsuccessful £1.5 million bid for his services in the January window.

Scottish giants Rangers have since joined the race, as have Charlton and Blackburn - who are both said to have Graham on their transfer wishlists, too.

Much like Ferry, Graham is also heading into the last twelve months of his contract after earning plaudits in a breakthrough campaign, which has seen the central defender rack up 33 league appearances.

With numerous English and European sides reportedly scouting Graham ahead of a summer move, the Addicks and Rovers are poised to face stiff competition for this particular deal and may well face fewer hurdles in pursuit of Ferry's signature.